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

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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 Lanky with striking red hair and a cocky demeanor, Clapper was dogged and respected by his fellow cops. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 Thanks to one impossibly cocky fighter pilot named Maverick, Reagan-era America never felt better about itself — or its military might. — Kevin P. Sullivan, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026 Sipos as Dean, the life of the party, confident bordering on cocky. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 June 2026 The city had a thriving poker scene in the early two-thousands, with enormous jackpots exchanging hands in empty warehouses and office parks, and Pughsley quickly earned a reputation for being loud and cocky. — Keith O’Brien, New Yorker, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cocky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocky

Adjective

Very strong, powerful, good feet, good athletic ability — and is working at the consistency part scheme-wise.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Sometimes, the wisest career decision is to acknowledge that a leader won't improve and move on, as careers thrive when employees aren't held back by consistently poor leadership.

— Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 31 July 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

That meant going their own way, being a little insolent and being arrogant.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026
In the 18th century, lusty also meant insolent, which might have conveyed Anderson’s frustrations with Dina’s unwillingness to accept his authority over her.

— Carolyn Zola, The Conversation, 11 June 2026

Definition of insolent

Adjective

This hanging gnome decoration lives up to the sassy, saucy personality commensurate with garden gnomes.

— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2026
Then step up your baggy jeans game with some sassy satin sandals for an extra feminine touch to offset the boyish, loose fit.

— Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 26 July 2026

Definition of sassy

Adjective

Their alliance signaled a brazen ambition to build the next great consumer product—this time for the AI age, and a bet that OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, could unseat the likes of Apple using the iPhone maker’s former design star.

— Emily Forlini, Fortune, 22 July 2026
Nine months after a brazen jewel heist left the Louvre scrambling, the museum has finally reopened the Apollo Gallery, where four masked thieves stole eight items valued collectively at $102 million.

— News Desk, Artforum, 22 July 2026

Definition of brazen

Adjective

Indeed, the announcement of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros triggered concern last year that the market for bold young talent would shrink – indeed that opportunities for indie companies like Continental would also disappear.

— Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Summer dressing is the perfect excuse to embrace bold color, play with texture, or experiment with a new silhouette.

— Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 30 July 2026

Definition of bold

Adjective

Except the brash arrogance that long lived behind the slogan has taken a bit of a hit in recent years.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Today, the restaurants are still stellar, still brash, still pace-setting, but the past year or two have brought some small, subtle shifts—little concessions, maybe, to the normative American palate.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Definition of brash

Browse Nearby Words

cock-ups

cocky

cocomposer

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“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cocky. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cocky

adjective

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