swagger

1 of 4

verb

swag·​ger ˈswa-gər 

swaggered; swaggering ˈswa-g(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

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

swaggerer

ˈswa-gər-ər 

noun

swaggeringly

ˈswa-g(ə-)riŋ-lē 

adverb

swagger

2 of 4

noun (1)

plural swaggers

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

: bold or brash self-confidence

"Taxi" opens with an argument over capital punishment between a progressive female teacher and a condescending loudmouth who's all macho swagger.

—Sheri Linden

Thierry has the swagger of a man who blew off conventional wisdom and turned out just fine.

—Ben O'Donnell

swagger

3 of 4

adjective

: marked by elegance or showiness : posh

swaggerer

4 of 4

noun (2)

swag·​ger·​er -gərə(r) 

plural -s

: one that swaggers

Synonyms of swagger

Verb

• boast
• brag

Examples of swagger in a Sentence

Verb

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

Noun (1)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Urushadze presents a sympathetic portrait of Niaz, a man who once embodied a certain type of swaggering masculinity but now seems adrift in the modern world. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

But Marx, 61, a former Marine and expert in martial arts, is nothing if not swaggering. — Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026

Noun

But much of it also had an obvious swagger and drive, sometimes with grooves that hinted at funk, or at least a Jane’s Addiction-like approximation of it. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026

The swagger underscores how much the semiconductor landscape is changing — and how fast. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Adjective

His screen appeal combines a mix of swagger and self-deprecating, and at times evokes (a taller) Joseph Gordon-Levitt. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

The song follows a man trying to impress and attract a woman, using Jagger’s famously charismatic stage presence as a metaphor for confidence, swagger and romantic appeal. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun (1), and Adjective

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

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1596, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1879, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing swagger

• swagger stick

Rhymes for swagger

• agger
• bagger
• dagger
• stagger

Kids Definition

swagger

1 of 2 verb

swag·​ger ˈswag-ər 

swaggered; swaggering -(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to behave in a very proud manner

especially : to walk with a proud strut

2

: boast entry 2 sense 1

swaggerer

-ər-ər 

noun

swaggeringly

-(ə-)riŋ-lē 

adverb

swagger

2 of 2 noun

: an act or instance of swaggering