swaggering

[swag-er-ing]

See more synonyms for swaggering on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to, characteristic of, or behaving in the manner of a person who swaggers.

Origin of swaggering

First recorded in 1590–1600; swagger + -ing²

Related formsswag·ger·ing·ly, adverbun·swag·ger·ing, adjectiveun·swag·ger·ing·ly, adverb

swagger

[swag-er]

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.

Origin of swagger

First recorded in 1580–90; swag¹ + -er⁶

Related formsswag·ger·er, nounout·swag·ger, verb (used with object)

Synonyms

See more synonyms for swagger on Thesaurus.com

1. See strut¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for swaggering

Contemporary Examples

Amir moves from a swaggering hotshot who seems to know it all to a broken man now questioning everything.
Religion, Race, and a Broadway Hit: The Making of ‘Disgraced’
Tim Teeman
November 10, 2014
Prisons are notoriously tightlipped when it comes to negative publicity, and officials often act with a swaggering confidence.
How To Plan A Jailbreak
Seth Ferranti
September 13, 2014
Jordan was great at playing the swaggering hero on the TV series Friday Night Lights, and can do it again.
Ryan Gosling Rumored For J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars’ Movie: Let’s Cast It
Marlow Stern
July 25, 2013
First, because by swaggering, “we will fix it—we will move on,” Dimon has claimed dominance over global markets.
Jamie Dimon’s Hubris Unshakable as JPMorgan Reelects Him to Top Two Posts
Nomi Prins
May 16, 2012
The show became a national sensation, with Downey front and center as the swaggering mouthpiece for working-class outrage.
‘Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie’: The Pundit’s Rise and Fall
Marlow Stern
April 24, 2012

Historical Examples

There is no necessity for this swaggering self-consciousness of freedom.
American Notes
Rudyard Kipling
"A man's a man when he's got a weapon like that," he would say with a swaggering air.
The Fat and the Thin
Emile Zola
They told the old tales of the bivouac; they sang its naughty or swaggering songs.
Gilian The Dreamer
Neil Munro
On the contrary, I look upon you as a swaggering bully and a hoary villain.
The Frozen Pirate
W. Clark Russell
“Swaggering old beggar,” he must have overheard a young sub.
All Roads Lead to Calvary
Jerome K. Jerome

British Dictionary definitions for swaggering

swagger¹

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 Formsswaggerer, nounswaggering, adjectiveswaggeringly, adverb

Word Origin

C16: probably from swag

swagger²

swaggie (ˈswæɡɪ)

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

Word Origin and History for swaggering

swagger

v.

1590, first recorded in Shakespeare ("Midsummer Night's Dream"), probably a frequentative form of swag (v.). Related: Swaggered; swaggering. The noun is attested from 1725.

swaggering

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}swaggering

swagger

Origin of swagger

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for swaggering

Contemporary Examples

Amir moves from a swaggering hotshot who seems to know it all to a broken man now questioning everything.

Prisons are notoriously tightlipped when it comes to negative publicity, and officials often act with a swaggering confidence.

Jordan was great at playing the swaggering hero on the TV series Friday Night Lights, and can do it again.

First, because by swaggering, “we will fix it—we will move on,” Dimon has claimed dominance over global markets.

The show became a national sensation, with Downey front and center as the swaggering mouthpiece for working-class outrage.

Historical Examples

There is no necessity for this swaggering self-consciousness of freedom.

"A man's a man when he's got a weapon like that," he would say with a swaggering air.

They told the old tales of the bivouac; they sang its naughty or swaggering songs.

On the contrary, I look upon you as a swaggering bully and a hoary villain.

“Swaggering old beggar,” he must have overheard a young sub.

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Word Origin

swagger2

swaggie (ˈswæɡɪ)

Word Origin and History for swaggering

swagger

v.

Origin of swaggering

swagger¹

swagger²