cockiness

/'kɔkinis/

Thân thiện

He strutted across the room with an air of cockiness.

Definition

Noun: 1. Offensive boldness and assertiveness: An excessive and often arrogant confidence in oneself, which can be perceived as disrespectful or irritating by others. It implies a lack of humility. 2. Overconfidence, swagger: A state of being overly self-assured to the point of being presumptuous or brash.

Usage and Examples

• His cockiness during the interview, where he claimed he knew more than the entire panel, cost him the job.
• The young athlete's cockiness was evident in his boastful predictions of victory before the match.
• While some confidence is good, her cockiness often alienates her teammates.

Advanced Usage and Nuance

• Cockiness typically carries a negative connotation. It describes confidence that has crossed a line into arrogance and is often seen as unearned or unwarranted.
• It is frequently associated with youth or inexperience, where a person has not yet faced enough failure to develop humility.
• The word can describe a temporary attitude ("He answered with cockiness") or a more permanent character trait ("Her cockiness is well-known").

Variants and Related Words

• Cocky (adjective): Having or showing cockiness.
  • He was too cocky and didn't prepare properly for the exam.
• Cockily (adverb): In a cocky manner.
  • He strutted cockily onto the stage.

Synonyms

• Arrogance
• Overconfidence
• Presumptuousness
• Brashness
• Swagger (as a noun, meaning a confident and arrogant gait or manner)

Antonyms

• Humility
• Modesty
• Diffidence
• Timidity

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Full of oneself: An idiom very similar in meaning to cocky, describing someone who is self-absorbed and overly confident.
  • Ever since he won the award, he's been so full of himself.

Học thuật

Noun

1. offensive boldness and assertiveness

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bumptiousness
• pushiness
• forwardness