swagger
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.
-
to boast or brag noisily.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
(intr) to walk or behave in an arrogant manner
-
to brag loudly
-
rare (tr) to force, influence, etc, by blustering
noun
adjective
noun
Related Words
See strut 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of swagger
Explanation
Picture the confident, maybe even arrogant way a pirate, a cowboy, or even a rapper might stroll around. That style of walking is called a swagger. Swagger can also be used as a verb. After you ace a test you might swagger down the hall feeling pretty full of yourself. In verb form it can also refer to more aggressive behavior like bullying or intimidating others. Hopefully you wouldn’t swagger down the hall doing that though!
Vocabulary lists containing swagger
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Words from Shakespearean Insults
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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.
Mr. Urban has natural swagger and he’s the best aspect here, although that’s like singling out the most fragrant part of a swamp.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Yet on Friday, they bolstered that purity with the confidence, swagger and precision of the veteran rock act they’ve become.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Far-right media personalities are adept at commanding attention with showmanship and swagger.
From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026
American Girls possesses a cheeky swagger that'll sound immense at his record-breaking Wembley Stadium residency this summer.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
And Maniac knew that despite the swagger and the scowl and the chocolate stogie, Mars Bar Thompson was one uneasy dude.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
