cockier; cockiest
1
: boldly or brashly self-confident
a cocky young actor
he is invariably a smug and cocky stuffed shirtJames Thurber
2
: jaunty
cockily adverb
cockiness noun

Examples of cocky in a Sentence

Don't get too cocky about your chances of getting the job. a cocky young actor who thought that he was God's gift to the theater
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
If the company gets cocky and goes too high, that could ruin a lot of the appeal here. Chris Welch, The Verge, 6 Jan. 2025 The mention of a weapon sets off one officer: Jaime Pino, a 20-year veteran with the cocky manner and imposing presence of a TV cop. Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025 That this once-relevant scoundrel's fall from something like grace uplifts so many is a testament to the joy to be found in seeing a cocky operator get his overdue comeuppance. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 What’s a cocky teenage boy to an English teacher in middle life and his rueful wife? Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cocky 

Word History

Etymology

see cock entry 1

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocky was in 1768

Dictionary Entries Near cocky

Cite this Entry

“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocky. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

cocky

adjective
cockier; cockiest
1
: being too sure of oneself
2
: jaunty
cockily adverb
cockiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cocky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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