swelled head

plural swelled heads · alternative swollen head

1. informalSelf-conceit.

   Now his ego inflates and his swelled head knows no bounds.

   1995, Hjalmar Bergman, translated by Hanna Kalter Weiss, Jac the Clown, Camden House, →ISBN, page 180

   2 more examples

   Success, however, is often their undoing, praise and flattery are inclined to make them have “swelled heads.”

   1987, The Book of Fate & Fortune: Numerology & Astrology, Orient Paperbacks, published 2008, →ISBN, page 177

   Conversely, when that same child does something exceptional, the parent will say, “Don’t get a swelled head from it.” The parent may be trying to help the child avoid becoming conceited, but the result is a message that says achievements aren’t anything to strive for or be proud of.

   1994, Russ Whitney, Building Wealth: From Rags to Riches Through Real Estate, Fireside, published 1995, →ISBN, page 244