Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective cocksure contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cocksure are certain, positive, and sure. While all these words mean "having no doubt or uncertainty," cocksure implies presumptuous or careless positiveness.

you're always so cocksure about everything

Where would certain be a reasonable alternative to cocksure?

While in some cases nearly identical to cocksure, 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

When can positive be used instead of cocksure?

The words positive and cocksure are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, positive intensifies sureness or certainty and may imply opinionated conviction or forceful expression of it.

I'm positive that's the person I saw

When is sure a more appropriate choice than cocksure?

The meanings of sure and cocksure largely overlap; however, sure usually stresses the subjective or intuitive feeling of assurance.

felt sure that I had forgotten something

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cocksure Amid the cocksure bravado of the adventure-sports world, fluidity is read as weakness. Alison Van Houten, Outside Online, 22 Aug. 2020 So cocksure are they, even their hair seems to swagger. San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2022 Craig Kilborn, the fratty cocksure original host of The Daily Show, had gotten his big call-up from CBS to host the late-night slot following David Letterman’s, which was one of two jobs Stewart didn’t get. Devin Gordon, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2022 After the evacuation, the four Brits were skewered as irresponsible and cocksure by Icelanders and media outlets around the world. Devon O’Neil, Outside Online, 20 Apr. 2016 See All Example Sentences for cocksure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocksure
Adjective
  • However, stablecoin issuers that get cocky with those principles can suffer their own meltdowns: In 2022, the now-bankrupt firm Terra saw its TerraUSD stablecoin collapse in one of that year's biggest tech failures.
    Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 18 July 2025
  • Jimmy, boyish and cocky as ever, proves a real asset thanks to his clandestine connection with Lex’s fashionista, selfie-snapping girlfriend Eve (Sara Sampaio).
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Experts are over 14 times more likely than light users to apply AI across all three phases and are twice as confident in the quality of their output.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • While there are some things for the Lions to overcome this season, Newton is confident in their ability to do so.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • Other characters include a talkative nurse, a wise parrot named Leonard, and a grumpy cat named Bitchy.
    Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
  • Chekhov’s imagination is too wise and subtle for that.
    Philip Metres July 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Not sure how to get around Austin for the MLS All-Star match?
    Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 24 July 2025
  • The two hooked up during a spring break trip to Cabo, Mexico — a moment that’s sure to stir up drama as season 3 unfolds.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Gemma reluctantly agrees to rebuild her impudent robot in a new body, and the sequel ends with an explosive showdown between Amelia and M3GAN, who nearly dies in a noble attempt to save Gemma and her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 June 2025
  • One chord appears to speak to the other, sounding almost impudent in their simplicity, equal parts ecstatic and heartbreakingly melancholic.
    Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • One’s insolent, calling him lame and old, and the other affectedly infantile, but both are exhausting in their own way.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The government, in an insolent filing on Sunday evening, rewrote that instruction.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Azerbaijan, meanwhile, has reportedly attempted to persuade its lobbyists not to register under FARA, in brazen defiance of the law.
    Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 28 July 2025
  • And the governor with such brazen contempt for public records laws is also suddenly a champion of transparency, demanding a mountain of documents from Broward on nine days’ notice.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Adjective
  • With stunning cinematography, emotional depth, and a breakout performance from a stellar cast, the series stands as a bold new entry in the canon of Black storytelling.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 24 July 2025
  • There’s still another week to catch this bold, new group exhibition of 50 artists’ works created to fill gaps in history, reframe present-day narratives, and imagine alternative futures.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025

Cite this Entry

“Cocksure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocksure. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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