cocky
1 Americanadjective
verb (used without object)
noun
-
short for cockatoo
-
a farmer whose farm is regarded as small or of little account
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cocky1
First recorded in 1540–50; cock 1 + -y 1
Origin of cocky2
First recorded in 1830–40; cock(atoo), cock(atiel) + -y 2
Origin of cocky3
Apparently a playful alteration, by association with cocky 1
Explanation
Cocky means "overly self-confident," like a cocky announcement at the beginning of the season that your soccer team will win the championship without even trying. Cocky originally meant "lecherous," or lustful, but evolved to mean "arrogantly pert" in the 1700s. Cocky people don't usually stop at bragging about themselves — they'll cut you in line at the grocery store, because they think they are too important to wait. Synonyms for cocky are conceited, egotistical, and the phrase "full of himself/herself."
Vocabulary lists containing cocky
Emotions on Display
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Long Way Down
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cocky is being very confident with no basis for it, or an inadequate basis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025
Cocky and sometimes crude with a puckish sense of humor, Navaly reveled in the absurdism inherent to authoritarian regimes.
From Slate • Feb. 16, 2024
So while Cocky was still on the court Friday and Sunday, March Madness banners, merchandise and decals competed for fans’ attention.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2022
He grew up listening to acts like Hot Boyz, Boosie, Webbie and Dipset, but said it was a battle rapper named Cocky who influenced him to rap.
From Washington Times • Dec. 19, 2021
There was a crash in the hall as the front door burst open and a smaller crash close by as Cocky dropped a teacup.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
