Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Presumptuous for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Presumptuous" — adjective, pronounced /prɪˈzʌmptʃuəs/, with the stress on "sump".
Narrator: Presumptuous means too confident, doing something you have no right to do.
Narrator: In plain English, presumptuous people overstep.
Narrator: It comes from presumption, from the Latin praesumere, to take beforehand.
Narrator: A common collocation is "it would be presumptuous", which describes politely holding back.
Narrator: It differs from "arrogant", because arrogant is general pride, while presumptuous is about overstepping in a situation.
Narrator: People often say "I hope it's not presumptuous" before making a bold suggestion.
Narrator: Etiquette, business, relationships and literature all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: presumptuous means taking too much for granted.
Speaker A: Was it presumptuous to book a table for us both?
Speaker B: A little! PRESUMPTUOUS comes from presumption, taking things beforehand.
Speaker A: So I should have asked first?
Speaker B: Yes, but it's sweet.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "It was presumptuous of him to call me Tom", overfamiliar. "I don't want to be presumptuous", polite caution. "Her presumptuous tone irritated the board", overconfidence.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Spell it "-tuous", not "-teous" or presumptious.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Forward is its cousin, cheeky is its twin, and overfamiliar is the social alternative, but presumptuous keeps its bold charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "presumptuous" in AI prompts — useful for email assistants and etiquette guides.
Speaker A: How would email assistants use it?
Speaker B: Check tone.
Prompt: Check whether this email to a new client sounds presumptuous and suggest a softer version.
Speaker A: And etiquette guides?
Speaker B: Explain norms.
Prompt: List five behaviours that might seem presumptuous at a British business dinner.
Speaker A: Could it help chatbots?
Speaker B: Yes, humility.
Prompt: Rewrite these chatbot replies so they do not presumptuously guess the user's feelings.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Networking.
Prompt: Write a LinkedIn connection note that is friendly but not presumptuous.
Presumptuous — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary