Meaning
pride, arrogance, haughtiness
- pride, haughtiness, pomposity
In a sentence
La sua superbia lo rende difficile da aiutare.
His pride makes him hard to help.
Per superbia, non ha chiesto scusa ieri.
Out of pride, he didn't apologize yesterday.
Perché tanta superbia con chi ti vuole bene?
Why so much haughtiness with someone who cares about you?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| superbia | feminine · singular |
| superbie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Often negative: use it for excessive pride. For positive self-respect, prefer orgoglio or dignità.
- Common with verbs like avere, mostrare, ferire: avere superbia, mostrare superbia, ferire la superbia di qualcuno.
- More literary or elevated than arroganza in some contexts; arroganza is often more direct and common in everyday speech.