COCKY Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

cocky

adjective

ˈkä-kē

Definition of cocky

as in wise

displaying or marked by rude boldness a cocky young actor who thought that he was God's gift to the theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cocky Joe Jonas as Shane Gray Since his days as the cocky but lovable Shane Gray in Camp Rock, Joe Jonas has carved out a multifaceted career. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026 Dix was a baseball prodigy too cocky and flashy for his own good who now coasts through life on his long-ago heroics coupled with charm and an undeserved diet of luck. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 Murray, a stoic veteran, wasn’t sure what to make of Kent, who played with a cocky edge. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 26 July 2026 Responsible or not, Polly’s behavior is therefore at best cavalier, and at worst, especially during his police room interviews, downright cocky. — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cocky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocky

Adjective

Presumably reserved for subsequent seasons are his refusal to fight in Vietnam, activism, absences and comebacks, the Thrilla in Manila, the Rumble in the Jungle, Parkinson’s — though this is a good place to stop, arc-wise and art-wise.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
And as for Escola, the Tony-winning actor and writer's film-star curls landed right between Palmer's and Anderson's, style-wise, with a pageboy shape and that dramatic swoop teased and sculpted into an exaggerated shape for a cheeky finish.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of wise

Adjective

The country’s website on the topic sports the cocksure hashtag #CroatiaYourNewOffice; Croatia’s focus on this segment of travelers has been so successful that researchers there published academic papers on the phenomenon.

— Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
For one, Columbus’s face wears the haughtiest, most cocksure expression in Lewis’s body of work.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Definition of cocksure

Adjective

From the sofa, naturally, watching approximately 54 hours of people breaking up, with believable emotions but slightly sassier best friends than mortals have in real life.

— Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026
Ego Nwodim had a sassy reaction to Shane Gillis following his controversial monologue on Saturday Night Live.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sassy

Adjective

When Harry boosts a USB crypto wallet from a brazen young criminal and spoiled rich kid, Dylan (Will Price), Ben has no idea what to do with it—plugging it into his circa-1995 desktop personal computer sends the machine into a tailspin.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Oct. 2026
Lovato’s dress, courtesy of Fanci Club, was a deep shade of eggplant purple and topped off with a scarlet-red lace bralette, making for a brazen club-friendly outfit only enhanced by the even more noticeable shoes.

— Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of brazen

Adjective

The movie is an epic series of harrumphs and harangues, propelled from room to room—and, in time, out into the world beyond the estate—by a spirit of impudent absurdism and corrosive cynicism which seems to emanate from Digger himself.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Mantello wasn’t being impudent.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

Definition of impudent

Adjective

President Kim Noltemy’s strategy, to divide labor and empower an array of specialists, is a bold counter to the traditional model of the all-powerful artistic and music director.

— Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Unfortunately, negotiating with Uber and DoorDash takes time, money, and lawyers, and though those repercussions might show up eventually, and maybe even prove effective, e-bike cowboys are getting bolder, faster, and more defiant by the day.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of bold

Adjective

Holmes, with her wide eyes and soft-spoken voice seems like the polar opposite of Evans’s brash, unapologetic monument to masculinity.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026
If red wine vinegar is bright and brash, sherry vinegar is its smoother, more nuanced cousin.

— Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of brash

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cock-ups

cocky

cocomposer

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“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocky. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of cocky

adjective

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