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.
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
A 64-year-old late bloomer who arrived in Bloomington with a cocky press conference and group of James Madison transfers, Cignetti delivered swagger, talent and a gift for navigating college football’s turbulent, transfer-happy economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
A charismatic performer with striking good looks, Kilmer gained international fame as Tom Cruise’s cocky rival, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, in “Top Gun.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
They get cocky, buy a new car — a Corvette Stingray, banana yellow.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025
Jesse Little Horse simply grinned in that cocky, mocking way he had.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
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.
