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 Not to sound cocky on another man’s behalf, but Rhys should skate to a win. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 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 Lanky with striking red hair and a cocky demeanor, Clapper was dogged and respected by his fellow cops. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 Sipos as Dean, the life of the party, confident bordering on cocky. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cocky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cocky

Adjective

Kansas City slumped to a 6-11 finish in 2025, but the Kansas City defense remained in the top 10 and points and yards allowed league-wise.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
Fernando Guerra, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, told my colleague Noah Goldberg that Raman might be wise not to simply focus on capturing the Pratt vote.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 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

Two of the sassier ladies set up chairs and offered to wipe firemen’s faces with moist towelettes.

— Devin Friedman, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
When Jane Fonda had the idea for the 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5, her heart was set on casting Parton as sassy secretary Doralee Rhodes.

— Rachel DeSantis, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of sassy

Adjective

Springfield is less appalled that Reacher has just killed a man than that Reacher was brazen enough to do it in front of him.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
The documentary’s most brazen and innovative technique is to turn Musk into a CGI avatar, enthroned in the purple glow of a digital background, eerily mouthing words that, as the film says, Elon has said in real life.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of brazen

Adjective

Still, the current team does have a rare shot at shaping an orchestra that is not only reliably exciting and frequently profound but also casually bold and genuinely fun — making for a crucial presence in the city as well as at Geffen Hall.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
His bold, unique style was an immediate hit with ad agencies, publications, the corporate world and in pop culture.

— BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of bold

Adjective

American politics bleed into the margins of their conversations, which are heady and serious, and then brash and provocative.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
The song was a frenetic evolution of Brooklyn drill—the grimy, bone-rattling subgenre of hip-hop popularized by Bobby Shmurda—and its instrumental by the British producer 808Melo gave it a brash East London bounce.

— Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cocky

adjective

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