as in wise
displaying or marked by rude boldness
a cocky young actor who thought that he was God's gift to the theater
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Recent Examples of cocky
Read more: Friends and Admirers Pay Tribute to Hollywood ‘Icon’ Val Kilmer
In 1986, in only his fourth movie role, Kilmer played a cocky pilot who easily intimidated even Tom Cruise’s smirky-confident hotshot Maverick, but even then, his macho swagger was roguish and playful.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Kilmer’s Maverick would be cocky but also raw, exposed.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
With a crew cut and a cocky attitude, Kilmer took blond '80s villains to a whole other level with Iceman.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Eddie is Conrad's grandson, a cocky rich kid who thinks nothing of stabbing someone in a club after a minor argument.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocky
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Kilmer’s Maverick would be cocky but also raw, exposed.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025
With a crew cut and a cocky attitude, Kilmer took blond '80s villains to a whole other level with Iceman.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Eddie is Conrad's grandson, a cocky rich kid who thinks nothing of stabbing someone in a club after a minor argument.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocky
Adjective
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Guidance and tariffs Dover made a few wise adjustments to its full-year outlook.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2025
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Deferring college acceptance—postponing enrollment typically for one year—can be a thoughtful strategy when life circumstances, personal goals or practical considerations suggest that waiting might be the wiser path.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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No brand should be so cocksure as to presume its products are irreplaceable.—
Cate Rubenstein,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2023
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Nayeri’s demeanor — usually cocksure — became unhinged.—
Tim Dickinson,
Rolling Stone,
17 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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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
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The government, in an insolent filing on Sunday evening, rewrote that instruction.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Tour is for everyone, so bring your friends, coworkers, partners, and those sassy grannies, and join me for an unforgettable night.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2025
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Or, how about the cool, sassy and affordable Monterey Pants ($65 on balticborn.com) in an emerald-and-ivory tropical leaf print?—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That’s about how much the owner of a Los Angeles jewelry store estimates was the value of merchandise stolen by burglars in a brazen heist last weekend.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
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From the November 2023 issue: Sophie Gilbert on what Madonna knows The brazen sexuality of the video was the whole point.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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In short, Moscow sees Montenegro as both strategically valuable and an impudent upstart that has thumbed its nose at the Russian bear while genuflecting before NATO and Washington.—
Edward P. Joseph,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Dec. 2016
Adjective
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From bold predictions about who's walking out with championship gold to sit-downs with WWE superstars on the verge of history, this preshow is serving as your all-access pass into the chaos, glory, and drama that makes WrestleMania the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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Also, the Fed must be free to move quickly to deploy bold strategies, such as its bond-buying campaign during the 2008 financial crisis and emergency lending measures during the COVID-19 recession of 2020, Conti-Brown said.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Stoic and brash, the audience learns Staten is still reeling from immense loss.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
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At the moment, Sherlock needs someone gutsy and brash like Amelia, because he’s been more or less sidelined since his best friend Dr. Watson and his landlady Mrs. Hudson were kidnapped.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocky. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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