cocky

adjective

ˈkä-kē

cockier; cockiest

Synonyms of cocky next

: boldly or brashly self-confident

a cocky young actor

he is invariably a smug and cocky stuffed shirt—

James Thurber

: jaunty

cockily

ˈkä-kə-lē

adverb

cockiness

ˈkä-kē-nəs

noun

Example Sentences

Don't get too cocky about your chances of getting the job. a cocky young actor who thought that he was God's gift to the theater

Recent Examples on the Web The pattern over the past century has revealed a continuum of sorts: hugely successful media giants dominating the entertainment scene, growing fat and cocky, dismissive of upstart competitors, followed by a humbling slide toward marginalization, if not outright irrelevance. —

Bill Carter For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, 1 June 2022 So, LeBron James, your Lakers have just defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in game on Tuesday night and have advanced to the first round of the playoffs to face the young, brash and cocky Memphis Grizzlies. —

Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2023 Such generalized prose relies on us already knowing how Ryan and his cocky crew pose with studied nonchalance, how pandemonium breaks out in the hall of lockers between classes, and especially how a savvy girl suspends the knowledge that the object of her devotion is a cad. —

Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2022 His social media teems with self-deprecating dad humor, and he’s revealed his amusingly cocky side, ridiculing teams that passed him over in free agency and good-naturedly taunting rivals like Aaron Rodgers. —

Jason Gay, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2021 Too short, too slow and too cocky. —

Marla Ridenour, USA TODAY, 6 July 2022 This team is young, confident and cocky. —

Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2023 Look confident but not cocky. —

Callum Borchers, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 His cocky, abrasive personality didn’t help. —

Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cocky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.