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cocky1

[kok-ee]
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adjective, cock·i·er, cock·i·est.
  1. arrogant; pertly self-assertive; conceited: He walked in with a cocky air.
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Origin of cocky1

First recorded in 1540–50; cock1 + -y1
Related formscock·i·ly, adverbcock·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cockily

Historical Examples

  • "Well, I'll have you to understand, sergeant—" bristled Hetherington, cockily.

    A Little Book of Christmas

    John Kendrick Bangs

  • "That's the Queen o' Kentucky, sir," replied the other cockily.

    Boy Woodburn

    Alfred Ollivant

  • The strut properly speaking began at the tip of his hat–his soft, black hat that sat so cockily upon his head.

    In the Heart of a Fool

    William Allen White

  • "Eldorado," he said once, cockily, as if he remembered something from the Spanish part of his background.

    The Planet Strappers

    Raymond Zinke Gallun

British Dictionary definitions for cockily

cocky1

adjective cockier or cockiest
  1. excessively proud of oneself
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Derived Formscockily, adverb

cocky2

noun plural cockies Australian informal
  1. short for cockatoo (def. 2)
  2. a farmer whose farm is regarded as small or of little account
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cockily

cocky

adj.

"arrogantly pert," 1768; originally "lecherous" (1540s); from cock (n.1) + -y (2). Related: Cockiness.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper