too clever by half
Outsmarted by yourself
Too clever by half describes someone whose intelligence or cunning backfires—they've outsmarted themselves.
The phrase suggests excessive cleverness that overlooks simpler solutions or creates new problems: His scheme to avoid taxes was too clever by half and landed him in court.
It carries a note of comeuppance, implying that straightforward approaches would have served better.
- overconfidentExcessively sure of oneself
- smartMentally quick, or fashionable
- smarty pantsSmugly intelligent person
- presumptuousOverstepping appropriate boundaries
- backfireYield unintended consequences
smug · arrogant · scheming · sophistry · complacent · know-it-all · misstep · overthinking · calculating · contrived · fall flat · pompous · self-defeating · self-satisfied · condescending · talking down to · rationalizing · hubris
too clever by halfwise
Showing good judgment
prudent · sagacious · judicious · sensible · level-headed
too clever by halfstraightforward
Clear and uncomplicated
simple · uncomplicated · direct · no-nonsense · plainspoken
too clever by halfstupid
Lacking intelligence or judgment
dumb · simple-minded · idiotic · moronic · dim-witted