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
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, 19 Sep. 2025
Vinnie Barbarino Was a Standout John Travolta’s Vinnie was known for his cocky swagger and flirtatious antics.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Compliments find you with greater ease, too; with Venus, your planetary ruler, now in Leo, your magnetism is louder and your confidence reads as warm, not cocky.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 7 Sep. 2025
Thanks to its partnership with Microsoft, resulting in near total control of PC chips throughout the 1990s, Intel got cocky.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocky
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Vinnie Barbarino Was a Standout John Travolta’s Vinnie was known for his cocky swagger and flirtatious antics.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Compliments find you with greater ease, too; with Venus, your planetary ruler, now in Leo, your magnetism is louder and your confidence reads as warm, not cocky.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 7 Sep. 2025
Thanks to its partnership with Microsoft, resulting in near total control of PC chips throughout the 1990s, Intel got cocky.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cocky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocky
Adjective
-
The military plays only an advisory role in the American system, giving input to the president’s deliberations but not otherwise independently adjudicating whether his or her decision is wise.—
Peter D. Feaver,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Kyle Dubas made a very wise move by signing Mantha, who fits in very nicely with this group and is playing high-level hockey.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Beane was so cocksure Allen’s solo act would work again that the GM made only minor moves to improve the offense.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Set on a white-run construction site in West Africa, the story follows an edgy foreman anxiously awaiting his bride, whose presence meets resistance from a cocksure engineer clinging to the hyper-masculine status quo.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Beautiful, not perfect; Alex can be rude, insolent, and subject to wild emotional swings and failures of decorum and logic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The movie’s startling originality is in its spirit, its insolent ironies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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This retired firefighter and bomb tech rose from the flames stronger, sassier, and ready to find a spark that lasts.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
5 Nov. 2025
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Fanning, too, is quirky and broadly likable and very much at home as a sassy sci-fi lead, even when working from an overly cute script.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The brazen, silly grandeur of the piece was astounding.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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This year’s harvest season has also seen some of the most brazen violence in recent years.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Fortunately, Snow White’s newfound enlightenment does not deny her the possibility of romance, although princes are now strictly off-limits; her love interest here is a fetchingly impudent bandit, Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who is leading a scrappy rebellion against the Evil Queen.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Calf & Pony Hair The sleek, tactile surface of pony hair adds a bold edge to any accessory, creating a striking contrast in bags, hats, and footwear.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
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Simone’s performance is mesmerizing—bold, vulnerable, and transformative.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The 75-year-old Lavrov has also honed a brash, confrontational style of diplomacy that has often matched Putin’s imperial aspirations.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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His bold role as a military officer might rub some the wrong way on character alone, but there's no denying how the industry will receive such a brash performance.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocky. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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