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Synonyms

cocky

1 American  
[kok-ee] / ˈkɒk i /

adjective

cockier, cockiest

  1. arrogant; pertly self-assertive; conceited;

    He walked in with a cocky air.
cocky 2 American  
[kok-ee] / ˈkɒk i /

noun

plural

cockies

  1. Australian.

    1. cockatoo.

    2. cockatoo.

  2. cockatiel.

cocky 3 American  
[kok-ee] / ˈkɒk i /

verb (used without object)

Newfoundland.
cockied, cockying

  1. copy.

cocky 1 British  
/ ˈkɒkɪ /

noun

  1. short for cockatoo

  2. a farmer whose farm is regarded as small or of little account

"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
cocky 2 British  
/ ˈkɒkɪ /

adjective

  1. excessively proud of oneself

"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

Other Word Forms

  • cockily adverb
  • cockiness noun

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

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.

Two years later, though, Jospin won a revenge of sorts when the cocky Chirac called an early general election, expecting his right-wing RPR party -- forerunner of Nicolas Sarkozy's Republicans -- to win easily.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

AI was already used with Kilmer so he could again play one of his most iconic roles, the cocky pilot Iceman, in the 2022 sequel to the era-defining 1980s hit "Top Gun."

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny was powerful as Kurwenal, his cocky sarcasm of Act 1 giving way to the caretaker’s forced optimism in Act 3.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

I remember being excited, of course, but also like, “Yes! I’m supposed to be here,” not from a cocky place but more affirmative.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Pima said, “You wouldn’t be so cocky if your dad wasn’t such a whip-wire. You’d be in the same position as me.”

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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.