Definition

1. Noun:

   • A proud, confident, and often arrogant or overly self-assured way of walking or behaving: A manner or gait that shows excessive confidence or pride.
   • A boastful or arrogant manner of speaking: Speech that is full of excessive pride or self-praise.
   • (British informal) Stylishness, confidence in appearance: A sense of fashionable confidence or chicness.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To walk or behave in a very confident and arrogant or self-important way: To move with an air of overbearing pride.
   • To boast or brag loudly or ostentatiously: To speak in a boastful manner.

3. Verb (transitive):

   • To force, influence, or bully someone by bluster or arrogance: To intimidate or dominate someone through a show of confidence or threats.

4. Adjective (British informal):

   • Very stylish, fashionable, or smart: Denoting something, especially clothes, that are confidently chic.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • He walked into the room with a confident swagger.
  • His speech was full of swagger and empty promises.

• Verb (intransitive):

  • The victorious team swaggered off the field.
  • He tends to swagger when he's trying to impress someone.

• Verb (transitive):

  • You can't swagger people into agreeing with you.

• Adjective:

  • He was dressed in a very swagger suit for the occasion.

Advanced Usage

• "Full of swagger": Having an excessive amount of arrogant confidence.

  • The young politician was full of swagger but lacked experience.

• "Swagger stick": A short stick or cane carried, often as part of a uniform, which can symbolize authority or a swaggering attitude.

  • The officer tapped his swagger stick against his boot.

Variants and Related Words

• Swaggerer (noun): A person who swaggers; a boastful, arrogant person.
• Swaggering (adjective/participle): Behaving or walking in a swaggering manner.
  • His swaggering attitude made him unpopular.

Synonyms

• Strut: To walk with a proud, stiff gait (often more specific to walking).
• Boast: To talk with excessive pride about oneself.
• Bravado: A bold manner intended to impress or intimidate.
• Bluster: To talk in a loud, aggressive, or indignant way with little effect.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

• Swagger about/around: To walk or move around in a swaggering manner.
  • He swaggered about the office as if he owned the place.

Related Idioms

• "Cut a swagger": To present a dashing, confident, and stylish appearance. (Less common variant of "cut a dash").
  • In his new suit, he certainly cut a swagger at the party.

Adjective

1. (British informal) very chic
   • groovy clothes

Noun

1. a proud stiff pompous gait
2. an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work

Verb

1. act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
2. discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
3. to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
   • He struts around like a rooster in a hen house