1340 Ayenbite (1866) 17 Þe uerste boȝ of prede is ontreuþe... Þe þridde, ouerweninge [c1450 Bk. Vices & Virtues sourquyderie] þet we clepeþ presumcion.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. 2369 Com Reberd de Beleyse þorgh his ouerwenyng [Fr. surquiderye], & passed hider ouer þe se.

1484 W. Caxton tr. Subtyl Historyes & Fables Esope ii. xv The Jaye..by his oultrecuydaunce or ouerwenynge wold haue gone and conuersed among the pecoks.

a1500 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1933) 164 182 (MED) Ouyrwenyng that may not be Engendreþ shame and malencoly.

1582 G. Whetstone Heptameron Ciuill Disc. sig. A.ij Pride proceedeth from mans ouerweening, of his owne excellencie.

1626 R. Bernard Isle of Man i. 63 The other is Selfe-conceit... The former lewd companion disordereth all the affections: this blindeth iudgement, by the ouerweening of a mans selfe.

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd i. 147 He [sc. Satan] might have learnt Less over-weening, since he fail'd in Job. View more context for this quotation

1700 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding (new ed.) ii. xxxiii. 221 Men of fair Minds, and not given up to the over weening of Self-flattery, are frequently guilty of it.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. ii. 8 Half the Misunderstandings among marry'd People, are owing to..mere Words, and little captious Follies, to Over-weenings, or unguarded Petulances.

1800 ‘A. Pasquin’ Walk Nine Times round Wight in Satires & Biogr. 20 Be not embrazen'd by a luckless hint, To think yourself superior to controul; Beware the overweenings of self-love.

1898 A. J. Butler tr. O. von Bismarck in Refl. & Reminisc. II. xxii. 100 This Gallic overweening and touchiness will make us if we announce in the face of Europe..that we fearlessly meet the public threats of France.

1923 D. H. Lawrence Birds, Beasts & Flowers (N.Y. ed.) 128 The goat is an egoist,..devilish aware of himself, And full of malice prepense, and overweening, determined to stand on the highest peak Like the devil, and look on the world as his own.

1935 E. R. Eddison Mistress xvii. 326 They had sided in his behalf..in face of this last high-blown overweening of the Vicar.

1554 J. Proctor Hist. Wyates Rebellion f. 46 Suche overweninge had they of them selues.

1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. iii. xi. §4. 135 Who..failed at the last through too much ouer-weening of his owne wisedome.

1632 P. Massinger Emperour of East iii. ii. sig. F2^v That should correct The pride, and ouerweening of my fortune, To play the parasite to it.

1720 R. Welton tr. T. Alvares de Andrade Sufferings Son of God II. xvii. 467 By a too great over-weening of their own perverse Will.

1808 S. T. Coleridge Let. to F. Jeffrey (1895) 536 An honest gentleman..having over-hurried the business through overweening of my simplicity and carelessness.

1827 J. Fearn in E. H. Barker Parriana (1828) I. 557 Any overweening of my own strength to fly alone.

1860 E. B. Browning Italy & World in Poet. Wks. 518 Not beacon-fires! this overweening Of underhand diplomatical tricks, Dared for the country while scorned for the counter!

1904 J. Payne Descent of Dove in Songs of Consolation iii. 39 For Midsummer madness to me The mirth without meaning, The wild overweening Of heaven, Of earth and of sea.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 169 (MED) Mochel is he fol and ouerweninde, þet wyþ-oute ouercominge abit to habbe þe coroune.

c1440 S. Scrope tr. C. de Pisan Epist. of Othea (St. John's Cambr.) (1970) 26 To ouer-wenyng hauȝteyn knyghte Of many a grace is voide ful ryghte.

1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xlviii. 186 Olde vnfamouse myschaunt, how arte thou soo folyshe and so ouerwenynge as for to wene to haue her.

1590 R. Wilson Three Lordes & Three Ladies London sig. F^v To meete and match our ouer weening foes.

1599 Master Broughtons Lett. Answered iv. 14 Your..attendant..doth play her part, with a cup of ouerweening liquour, hauing so intoxicated your weake braine..so you there scorne all others comparatively without all respect, impudently without all shame.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iii. i. 157 Goe base Intruder, ouer-weening Slaue, Bestow thy fawning smiles on equall mates. View more context for this quotation

1635 T. May Victorious Reigne Edward III v. sig. K8 To strike astonishment In overweening mortals.

1706 N. Rowe Ulysses i. i O'erweening, Insolent, Unmanner'd Slave.

1767 A. Murphy School for Guardians iii. 52 Mr. Oldcastle, you are a blockhead, an overweening, cuckoldy blockhead!

1835 E. S. Wortley Recoll. Corniche in Travelling Sketches 56 The untamed, intoxicating consciousness That thus leads on the over-weening mind.

1892 Sat. Rev. 23 Jan. 92/1 It is one of the many pet little faddities of this overweening sect.

1953 S. Kauffmann Philanderer (1957) vi. 91 The man who had seemed a dignified young wonder on 135th Street..looked like a pompous and overweening young ass downtown.

1991 Time 15 July 61 Engaged. Donald Trump, 45, overweening casino developer, and Marla Maples, 27, his on-again, off-again girlfriend.

1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xxii. 72 Grete foly it is to youre doughters to haue such an ouerwenyng [Fr. oultrecuidant] wylle.

1589 R. Greene Arcadia in Menaphon 69 Haue the fauors of my bounty (not thy desert) entred thee so deeply in ouerweening presumption, that thou shouldst be the formost in derogation of our dignitie, and blaspheming of my beautie?

1595 S. Daniel First Fowre Bks. Ciuile Warres iii. xxxv. sig. O3 Whose mind not wonne With th'ouerweening thought of hot excesse.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies vii. xiv. 535 The vanquished..with many teares craved pardon of their overweening follie.

1640 Bp. J. Hall Episcopacie iii. viii. 260 To be led by the nose, with..an over-weening opinion of some persons, whom you thinke you have cause to honour.

1712 E. Budgell Spectator No. 307. ¶14 The over-weening Fondness of a Parent.

1792 M. Wollstonecraft Vindic. Rights Woman ii. 46 Instead of severely reprehending the transient effusions of overweening sensibility, I shall only observe that [etc.].

1826 J. F. Cooper Last of Mohicans I. xvi. 255 I have no overweening reliance on the faith of these marquesses, or marquis, as they call themselves.

1879 M. Arnold Democracy in Mixed Ess. 15 Her airs of superiority and her overweening pretensions.

1962 O. Manning Spoilt City i. xiv. 149 When he discovered that Yakimov was English, his manner changed, becoming confiding though overweening.

1996 Mother Jones Feb. 54/3 We had enormous ideals about society but also suffered from overweening arrogance.