English Reference
Idiom idiom

cowboy up

Meaning

To put on a more heterosexual manner, in order to fit in.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“He needs to cowboy up if he wants to fit in with them.”

CONTEXTUAL

“His friends told him to cowboy up and stop acting so sensitive at the party.”

COMPLEX

“Feeling the pressure to conform to traditional expectations, he decided to cowboy up and hide his true personality.”

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    all hat and no cowboy

    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

  2. 02

    cowboy killer

    A cigarette.

  3. 03

    cowboy shower

    A simple shower in a horse trailer's living area to remove the dirt and grime associated with working around livestock.

Last updated August 10, 2026