English · Idiom Historical

swelled head

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

An exaggerated sense of one's own dignity, usefulness, importance, etc.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Head Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “swelled head” mean?

An exaggerated sense of one's own dignity, usefulness, importance, etc.

Is “swelled head” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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