swagger

[ swag-er ]

/ ˈswæg ər /

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See synonyms for: swagger / swaggering / swaggerer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.

to boast or brag noisily.

verb (used with object)

to bring, drive, force, etc., by blustering.

noun

swaggering manner, conduct, or walk; ostentatious display of arrogance and conceit.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of swagger

First recorded in 1580–90; swag¹ + -er⁶

synonym study for swagger

1. See strut¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM swagger

swag·ger·er, nounoutswagger, verb (used with object)

Words nearby swagger

Swadeshi, Swados, swag, swage, swage block, swagger, swagger coat, swaggering, swagger stick, swaggie, swagman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use swagger in a sentence

Leather iPhone cases are sleek and fashion-forwardLeather iPhone cases are a great way to give your phone a sophisticated swagger with increased functionality.
Best iPhone cases for protection and style|PopSci Commerce Team|February 26, 2021|Popular-Science
Her husband, Adan, a professional thief, is a “giant” of a man, all swagger.
‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House,’ by Cherie Jones, is a stunning debut|Hamilton Cain|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
The ability to make outlandish claims about money, controlling the crowd and ones swagger is made even more incredible when done over dope production.
Busta Rhymes’ Teaches the Art of Bragging in This Week’s The Playlist|cmurray|December 4, 2020|Essence.com
Unable to use facial expressions, he said he carefully considered his walk and swagger.
David Prowse, English actor and weightlifter who embodied Darth Vader, dies at 85|Louie Estrada|November 29, 2020|Washington Post

Shaver wrote with brutal honesty, a surgeon’s precision and the swagger of the greatest saloon poets of the 20th century.
Nobody wrote songs like Billy Joe Shaver|Geoff Edgers|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
He has given that profession a swagger that, let's face it, few other professions have.
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The third continued in kind with “selfie,” “swagger,” and “twerk.”
Feminist, Bae, Turnt: Time’s ‘Worst Words’ List Is Sexist and Racist|Samantha Allen|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the show desperately needed the likes of Parker to throw Red off his game, to put a stop to his swagger.
The Blacklist’s Frustrating Fall: Keen’s a Keeper, but Red Regresses|Jason Lynch|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The co-owner of Metropolis Collectables, Vincent has Wolverine mutton chops, a Tony Stark goatee, and Lex Luthor swagger.
The Holy Grail of Comic Books Hid in Plain Site at New York Comic Con|Sujay Kumar|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Hoboken swagger had been replaced by a Wall Street stride.
Frank Sinatra and the Birth of the Jet Set|William Stadiem|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Aristide passed by with a swagger, his head high and the end of his pointed beard sticking joyously up in the air.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Westmacott moved a step or two forward, a swagger unmistakable in his gait, his nether-lip thrust out in a sneer.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
He was a swagger dresser and more marked than many because he was strikingly handsome.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
We heard the bar drop from the end cabin; then Dale came into view, walking with a swagger toward the concealed savages.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
Look at the swagger of the vagabond who commands his braves, would you not think he was about to hew down everything in sight?
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for swagger (1 of 2)

swagger¹

/ (ˈswæɡə) /

verb

(intr) to walk or behave in an arrogant manner

(intr often foll by about) to brag loudly

(tr) rare to force, influence, etc, by blustering

noun

arrogant gait, conduct, or manner

adjective

British informal, rare elegantly fashionable

Derived forms of swagger

swaggerer, nounswaggering, adjectiveswaggeringly, adverb

Word Origin for swagger

C16: probably from swag

British Dictionary definitions for swagger (2 of 2)

swagger²

swaggie (ˈswæɡɪ)

/ (ˈswæɡə) /

noun

other names for swagman

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

swagger

Origin of swagger

synonym study for swagger

OTHER WORDS FROM swagger

Words nearby swagger

Words related to swagger

How to use swagger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for swagger (1 of 2)

Derived forms of swagger

Word Origin for swagger

British Dictionary definitions for swagger (2 of 2)

swaggie (ˈswæɡɪ)