adj
cocky
KO-kee
adj
1
Overly self-confident, boastful, or arrogant.
"He was cocky after his first win and underestimated his next opponent."
"She has a cocky grin that some find charming and others find annoying."
How to Use Cocky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFull of swagger and overconfidence, often to an annoying degree.
Common mistake
Cocky usually carries a negative edge — for confident without the arrogance, use "confident" or "self-assured" instead.
Common pairings
a cocky attitude
act cocky
cocky and confident
Word Forms
cockier comparative, cockied past tense, cockies plural, cockies singular, cockiest superlative
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He was _____ after his first win and underestimated his next opponent.
Etymology
From "cock" (a rooster, seen as a strutting, self-important bird) plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y."