have a swelled head
have a swelled head
To be conceited, arrogant, or self-aggrandizing. Cheryl has such a big head on her, all she ever talks about is herself. Janice has had a bit of a big head ever since she got that promotion.
See also: have, head, swell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
*swelled head
Fig. a state of being conceited. (Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) John got a swelled head after he won the prize. Don't get a swelled head from all this success.
See also: head, swell
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
swelled head, have a
Be conceited, as in Winning all those prizes has not given her a swelled head, at least not yet. This idiom began as be swellheaded, first recorded in 1817. The present form dates from about 1860. For a synonym see big head.
See also: have, swell
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
swelled head, to have a
To be conceited. The image conveyed is that of having one’s self-importance augment one’s head size. The term dates from the nineteenth century. J. J. Cooper used it with appropriate disgust (Simon Suggs’ Adventures, 1845): “They’re all a pack of d——d swell-heads.”
See also: have, swell
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- have a big head
- have a fat head
- swell
- swelled head
- swelled head, have a
- swelled head, to have a
- big head, have a
- big-C
- big C
- the big C