noun
Icarus
IH-kuh-ruhs
noun
1
In Greek myth, the youth who flew too close to the sun on wings of feathers and wax, causing them to melt, and fell into the sea; used to describe someone whose overreaching ambition leads to their downfall.
"The failed startup was described as a modern Icarus, undone by its own hubris."
"Like Icarus, he ignored every warning and flew too close to the sun."
How to Use Icarus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA mythical figure whose name is now shorthand for overambition that leads to a dramatic fall.
Common pairings
a modern Icarus
fly too close to the sun
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Etymology
From Latin Icarus, from Greek Ikaros, the mythological son of Daedalus.