swagger

1 of 3

verb

swag·​ger ˈswa-gər How to pronounce swagger (audio)
swaggered; swaggering ˈswa-g(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce swagger (audio)

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 noun
swaggeringly adverb

swagger

2 of 3

noun

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 3

adjective

: marked by elegance or showiness : posh

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 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
Evil takes root: Darkness rises in The Rings of Power season 2 After swaggering through season 1 as the scruffy rogue Halbrand, Sauron has spent season 2 disguised as a beautiful elf noble named Annatar. Christian Holub, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024 Despite the possibility of a female President, masculinity has swaggered to the center of the 2024 election—a development both parties seem to have embraced. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
Even before Thursday’s indictment unsealing, polls suggested that New Yorkers had had enough swagger. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2024 In the show’s flashy and elaborate costumes, Bertha walks with a swagger, a flick of her hips. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swagger 

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, 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

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swagger was circa 1596

Dictionary Entries Near swagger

Cite this Entry

“Swagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swagger. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

swagger

1 of 2 verb
swag·​ger ˈswag-ər How to pronounce swagger (audio)
swaggered; swaggering -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce swagger (audio)
1
: to behave in a very proud manner
especially : to walk with a proud strut
2
swaggerer noun
swaggeringly adverb

swagger

2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of swaggering

More from Merriam-Webster on swagger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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