cocksure

adjective

cock·​sure ˈkäk-ˈshu̇r How to pronounce cocksure (audio)
1
: feeling perfect assurance sometimes on inadequate grounds
2
: marked by overconfidence or presumptuousness : cocky
cocksurely adverb
cocksureness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for cocksure

sure, certain, positive, cocksure mean having no doubt or uncertainty.

sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

certain may apply to a basing of a conclusion or conviction on definite grounds or indubitable evidence.

police are certain about the cause of the fire

positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

Examples of cocksure in a Sentence

you're always so cocksure about everything
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Set on a white-run construction site in West Africa, the story follows an edgy foreman anxiously awaiting his bride, whose presence meets resistance from a cocksure engineer clinging to the hyper-masculine status quo. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025 Blyth plays Cal, a jumpy and cocksure construction manager who is very much the third wheel — or more like the monkey wrench — in the recent couple formed by Leonie and the considerably older Horn. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025 No brand should be so cocksure as to presume its products are irreplaceable. Cate Rubenstein, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2023 Yann Gael, Roger Sallah and Mentor Ba entertain as tough guy gunslingers, but their cocksure attitude is tested when a paranormal foe threatens them and their stash of gold. Thomas Page, CNN, 23 Sep. 2022 See All Example Sentences for cocksure

Word History

Etymology

probably from cock entry 1 + sure

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocksure was in 1672

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cocksure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocksure. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

cocksure

adjective
cock·​sure ˈkäk-ˈshu̇(ə)r How to pronounce cocksure (audio)
1
: perfectly sure : certain
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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