ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cocky

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɑki// UK //kˈɒki// cocky Archaic Informal

adj. feeling too confident about your own abilities. It is often used in a slightly negative way to describe someone who thinks they are better than others.

adj. having or showing excessive self-confidence; often implying arrogance or a lack of humility. Informal in register.


SIMPLE

He is too cocky about his driving skills.

CONTEXTUAL

The young player looked cocky after scoring the first goal, but he lost focus soon after.

COMPLEX

His cocky demeanor masked a deep insecurity that only surfaced when he faced genuine criticism from his peers.

Etymology 1

From cock (“male domestic chicken”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense of ‘having the quality of’).

Etymology 2

From cock (“male domestic chicken”) + -y (diminutive suffix).

Etymology 3

The noun is derived from cock(atoo) + -y (diminutive suffix). The verb is derived from the noun.

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