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.
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 Ahmed will play cocky Flight Nurse Zay Patel, Meyboom as spirited rookie Flight Nurse Piper Adler, Eling as charming First Officer Wyatt Ellis, Lee as ambitious pilot Maya Yang, and Smith as Captain Riley, a globe-trotting pilot with a past connection to Wheezer. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cocky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocky. Accessed 12 Sep. 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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