high spirits / arrogance
der Übermut
Loading your saved state.
high spirits
Exuberant, often thoughtless cheerfulness and zest for life that can easily lead someone to undertake daring actions.
Im Übermut kletterte er auf das Dach der Garage.
In his high spirits, he climbed onto the garage roof.
arrogance
Arrogant or provocative behavior resulting from excessive self-confidence.
Sein Übermut brachte ihn dazu, den erfahrenen Gegner öffentlich zu provozieren.
His arrogance led him to publicly provoke the experienced opponent.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Übermutes |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Übermut | – |
| accusative | den Übermut | – |
| dative | dem Übermut | – |
| genitive | des Übermutes des Übermuts | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Übermut' (high spirits / arrogance) is made up of 'über' (over) and 'Mut' (courage). Here, 'über' indicates an excess: The courage goes beyond a reasonable limit and can lead to thoughtless behavior.
Sein Übermut brachte ihn dazu, ohne Sicherung in den Baum zu klettern.
His exuberance led him to climb the tree without any safety equipment.
The expressions 'im Übermut' (out of high spirits) and 'aus Übermut' (out of sheer high spirits) are typical when referring to an exuberant, thoughtless mood. They are often followed by a description of a risky or unreasonable action.
Aus Übermut sprang sie von der niedrigen Mauer und verletzte sich am Fuß.
Out of sheer high spirits, she jumped off the low wall and injured her foot.
The meaning involving provocative behavior can often be recognized from verbs such as 'provozieren' (to provoke), 'verspotten' (to mock), or 'herausfordern' (to challenge). If the context involves exuberant zest for life and a risky action, the first meaning is more likely intended.
Sein Übermut ließ ihn den Kapitän vor der ganzen Mannschaft provozieren.
His arrogance led him to provoke the captain in front of the entire team.
