an arrogant fool

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an arrogant fool" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone who is both conceited and lacking in wisdom or common sense. Example: "Despite his many failures, he continued to act like an arrogant fool, refusing to listen to anyone else's advice."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It is not enough that Mark Zuckerberg is not an arrogant fool.

The Guardian - Opinion

A man who dreamed up a multi-billion-dollar company while still a teenager and yet – and this is an important point – is not an arrogant fool.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The only mistake he made was to keep an incompetent lawyer and arrogant fool as his law minister".

The New York Times

John Thain, rumored as a possible Secretary of the Treasury under John McCain, may be the most arrogant fool on Wall Street, which is saying something, because the competition is fierce.

Huffington Post

Some of the men looked like strong leaders, others seemed like wimps or arrogant fools, others mediocre but not hopeless.

The New York Times - Magazine

Among Perowne's acquaintance are those medics who deal not with the brain but only with the mind, with the diseases of consciousness; these colleagues embrace a tradition, a set of prejudices only rarely voiced nowadays, that the neurosurgeons are blundering arrogant fools with blunt instruments, bonesetters let loose upon the most complex object in the known universe.

The New Yorker

They behaved like arrogant fools, spreading themselves thinly around the top echelons of the government and going on telly to justify the most difficult parts of coalition policy whenever they could.

The Guardian - Opinion

Bannon's comments were published late Wednesday by American Prospect, a left-leaning publication that had just equated Trump to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, referring to them as "arrogant fools".

Vice

Even the absurdly rich CEOs, who drank the Casino Kool-Aide, have most likely had their life expectancy diminish recently and many of their kids think of them as arrogant fools.

Huffington Post

Seeing the play again in Walnut Creek left a different impression, largely because of Craig Marker's powerful portrayals of two clueless, arrogant fools whose assumption of white male privilege prevents them from having the good sense to shut their stupid mouths before making a bad situation worse.

Huffington Post

A self-important fool?

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "an arrogant fool" when you want to express strong disapproval of someone's behavior, emphasizing both their inflated ego and lack of good judgment.

Common error

While "an arrogant fool" can be effective, avoid using it excessively. Overuse can make your writing sound repetitive and less impactful. Vary your vocabulary to keep your writing engaging.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an arrogant fool" functions as a noun phrase, specifically a descriptive label. It serves to characterize an individual, combining an adjective ("arrogant") with a noun ("fool") to convey a critical assessment of their personality and behavior. As Ludwig states, the phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an arrogant fool" is a grammatically sound and usable expression in English, used to describe someone exhibiting both arrogance and foolishness. Ludwig confirms its validity, though its usage is relatively rare, primarily appearing in News & Media contexts. When writing, consider the impact and appropriateness of this phrase, as it carries strong negative connotations. Alternatives like "a pompous idiot" or "a conceited simpleton" may offer milder ways to convey a similar sentiment. While effective, overuse of "an arrogant fool" can diminish its impact, so vary your word choice for engaging and impactful writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a pompous idiot

Replaces "arrogant" with "pompous" and "fool" with "idiot", emphasizing the self-importance and lack of intelligence.

a conceited simpleton

Uses "conceited" instead of "arrogant" to highlight vanity, and "simpleton" instead of "fool" to stress naivety.

an egotistical imbecile

Substitutes "arrogant" with "egotistical" to focus on self-centeredness, and "fool" with "imbecile" to indicate intellectual deficiency.

a smug moron

Replaces "arrogant" with "smug" to emphasize self-satisfaction, and "fool" with "moron" to indicate low intelligence.

a pretentious dolt

Uses "pretentious" instead of "arrogant" to highlight attempts to appear important, and "dolt" instead of "fool" to stress clumsiness.

a haughty nincompoop

Substitutes "arrogant" with "haughty" to focus on disdain for others, and "fool" with "nincompoop" to indicate silliness.

a superior dunce

Replaces "arrogant" with "superior" to emphasize feelings of being better than others, and "fool" with "dunce" to indicate lack of learning.

an overbearing buffoon

Uses "overbearing" instead of "arrogant" to highlight domineering behavior, and "buffoon" instead of "fool" to stress ridiculousness.

a self-righteous ignoramus

Substitutes "arrogant" with "self-righteous" to focus on moral superiority, and "fool" with "ignoramus" to indicate lack of knowledge.

a vain twit

Replaces "arrogant" with "vain" to highlight excessive pride, and "fool" with "twit" to indicate foolishness.

FAQs

How can I use "an arrogant fool" in a sentence?

You can use "an arrogant fool" to describe someone who acts with excessive pride and poor judgment. For example, "Despite his failures, he continued to act like "an arrogant fool", ignoring all advice."

What's a less harsh way to say "an arrogant fool"?

If you want to express a similar sentiment with less intensity, you could use phrases like "a pompous idiot" or "a conceited simpleton".

Is it grammatically correct to say "an arrogant fool"?

Yes, "an arrogant fool" is grammatically correct. The article "an" is used because "arrogant" begins with a vowel sound.

What is the difference between "an arrogant fool" and "a stupid fool"?

"An arrogant fool" implies that the person is not only foolish but also has an inflated sense of self-importance. "A stupid fool" simply implies a lack of intelligence.