Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRE-SUMP'TU-OUS, a. [Fr. presomptueux; It. and Sp. presuntuoso.]

1. Bold and confident to excess; adventuring without reasonable ground of success; hazarding safety on too light grounds; rash; applied to persons; as, a presumptuous commander. There is a class of presumptuous men whom age has not made cautious, nor adversity wise. – Buckminster.
2. Founded on presumption; proceeding from excess of confidence; applied to things; as, presumptuous hope. – Milton.
3. Arrogant; insolent; as, a presumptuous priest. – Shak. Presumptuous pride. – Dryden.
4. Unduly confident; irreverent with respect to sacred things.
5. Willful; done with bold design, rash confidence or in violation of known duty; as, a presumptuous sin.