Definition

Adjective: - Exhibiting self-importance; boastful or triumphantly elated: Describes a state of being extremely pleased, proud, and boastful, often in a way that is showy or overly confident.

Usage

This adjective is used to describe a person's manner or attitude when they are feeling and showing great pride, joy, or triumph, typically after a success. It often carries a connotation of being somewhat boastful or excessively pleased with oneself.

Examples

• After winning the championship, the team was cock-a-hoop, celebrating loudly all night.
• She was cock-a-hoop about her promotion and couldn't stop telling everyone.
• His cock-a-hoop attitude after the small victory annoyed his more humble colleagues.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in predicative position (e.g., "He was cock-a-hoop") rather than attributively before a noun.
• It can describe a temporary state of exultation. The feeling is usually a direct reaction to a specific event or piece of news.

Variants and Related Words

• Cock-a-hoop is a fixed compound adjective. There are no direct variants (like ), but the state can be described with the phrase in a cock-a-hoop manner.
• Cocky (adj): Overly self-confident or arrogant. While related, "cocky" describes a general arrogant attitude, not necessarily a temporary state of triumphant joy.

Synonyms

• Elated: In high spirits, ecstatically happy.
• Jubilant: Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
• Exultant: Triumphantly happy.
• Boastful: Showing excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements.

Antonyms

• Crestfallen: Sad and disappointed.
• Abashed: Embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.
• Humble: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.

Idioms and Phrases

• Cock-a-hoop itself functions as an idiomatic adjective. It originates from the older phrase "to set cock-a-hoop," which meant to be in a state of riotous celebration or to let things get out of control.
  • Example (historical context): After the old king died, the nobles set the kingdom cock-a-hoop with their feuding.

Adjective

1. exhibiting self-importance
   • big talk