swagger

verb swag·ger \ ˈswa-gər \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of swagger

swaggered; swaggering play \ˈswa-g(ə-)riŋ\

1 : to conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner; especially : to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence

2 : boast, brag

transitive verb

: to force by argument or threat : bully

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swaggerer

play \ˈswa-gər-ər\ noun

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swaggeringly

play \ˈswa-g(ə-)riŋ-lē\ adverb

See swagger defined for English-language learners

See swagger defined for kids

Examples of swagger in a Sentence

He copped a plea, ratted out a dozen no-neck pals and swaggered off to prison, leaving South Beach temporarily without a pied piper. —Carl Hiaasen, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009
So it is a fight rather than an argument, really—a fight over complexity versus ease, a fight that mostly mimics gang war, which is not so much a vigorous instance of manly bloodletting (though it is that too) as a dustup over prestige: who has the prior right to swagger in public. —Cynthia Ozick, Harper's, April 2007
Sometimes he sauntered through the streets of the old town. He looked with awe at the students of the corps, their cheeks gashed and red, who swaggered about in their coloured caps. —W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915
I, too, would swagger if I'd won first place in the bowling tournament.
hoping to impress the women at the bar, the young man confidently swaggered across the room

Recent Examples of swagger from the Web

Several swaggering Texas doctors are engaging protagonists throughout this decades-long story, and the suspense could give any true-crime podcast a run for its money.

— wired staff, WIRED, "12 Books You Must Read This Summer," 25 May 2018
Singers and rappers could be swaggered out superheroes or African Queens, depending on the vibe.

— refinery29.com, "Why Proms – Supersized, Superglam – Don’t Look Anything Like The Ones You Remember," 30 Apr. 2018
Any could soon find a confident twentysomething swaggering into their quarterback room.

— nate davis, USA TODAY, "18 questions leading into the 2018 NFL draft," 26 Apr. 2018
Edred Utomi delivered a sturdy performance on Wednesday as the musical’s swaggering but deeply flawed hero.

— wei-huan chen, Houston Chronicle, "'Hamilton' lives up to high expectations at Houston's Hobby Center," 27 Apr. 2018
The latest batch are all swaggering tributes to the ’70s—a decade when the patterns were brash, the knits were plush, and the fits were flattering.

— yang-yi goh, GQ, "Your Next Polo Shirt Should Be a Bold and Trippy ’70s Throwback," 26 Apr. 2018
The arrogant, swaggering Mourinho of the past would have bounced back from this miserable defeat, yet below the surface of his apparently still-confident demeanour, there appears to be a certain frailty about Mourinho these days.

— SI.com, "You're Not Special Any More: How Man Utd's Sevilla Defeat Sums Up the Misery of Modern Mourinho," 15 Mar. 2018
Jeffrey Dean Morgan shows up to chew some scenery as a swaggering cowboy of a government agent.

— katie walsh, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘Rampage’ is big, dumb fun," 12 Apr. 2018
Woods used to be the world's most daunting sports goliath, at once swaggering and stony, admired by some, resented by more, feared by all.

— bill plaschke, latimes.com, "Tiger Woods isn't done. He could win The Masters. Are you kidding me?," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swagger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of swagger

probably from ¹swag + -er (as in chatter)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1596

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

swagger Synonyms

Phrases

blow smoke;

swagger

noun swag·ger \ ˈswa-gər \

Definition of swagger

1 a : an arrogantly self-confident way of walking : an act or instance of swaggering

b : arrogant or conceitedly self-assured behavior

c : ostentatious display or bravado

2 : a self-confident outlook : cockiness

See swagger defined for English-language learners

Examples of swagger in a Sentence

He limps with a noticeable swagger, flamboyantly waving his cane, semi-ironically mimicking the rap stars who are now his peers. —Matt Diehl, Spin, September 2008
He greeted me with the swagger he's learned since he became a fighter pilot, smiling, his blue eyes glowing. —Matthew Klam, Harper's, February 1999
What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skipping and prancing, but moved with a dignified swagger as became a pirate who felt that the public eye was on him. —Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876
He has a swagger that annoys some of his teammates.