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
- 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.
No longer will he suffer injuries in silence — although the Coyote’s legal team, played by Will Forte and Lana Condor, do all of the talking against Acme’s cocky defense attorney, John Cena.
From Los Angeles Times
The car is as “cocky as they come,” Kendall said.
A charismatic performer with striking good looks, Kilmer gained international fame as Tom Cruise’s cocky rival, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, in “Top Gun.”
Egypt is self-assured and funny, cocky in a clear-eyed way.
From Los Angeles Times
They get cocky, buy a new car — a Corvette Stingray, banana yellow.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
