Icarus Effect
/ˈɪkərəs ɪˈfɛkt/noun
A pattern in which exceptional success or ambition leads to overconfidence, collapse, or failure.
Did you know?Icarus is a mythological figure rather than a transparently translated Greek word, and his story became a lasting symbol of hubris, reckless ambition, and fatal overconfidence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“To put, place, or do; a reconstructed root later connected with Latin forms of making and doing.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἴκαρος (Íkaros)
“Icarus, the mythical youth who escaped Crete with wax-and-feather wings and fell after flying too near the sun.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Icarus
“The Latin form of the Greek mythological name, used in retellings of the story.”
Classical Latin
Latin
effectus
“A result, accomplishment, or something brought about; from efficere, “to bring about” or “produce.””
14th Century
Middle English
effect
“A result, consequence, or outcome, borrowed through Anglo-French and Old French from Latin.”
20th Century
English
Icarus effect
“A modern metaphorical term for success or ambition becoming so extreme that it produces downfall.”