The English word hubris, meaning "an over-inflated sense of pride" or "excessive self-confidence," comes to us directly from its Greek root húbris (ὕβρις), meaning "insolence" or "arrogance," with the broader implications of "wanton violence arising from pride." In Greek literature, húbris (ὕβρις) often leads to the tragic downfall of heroes and other characters who attempt to overstep their human limitations.