cocky
/'kɔki/ Cách viết khác : (cocksy) /'kɔksi/ (coxy) /'kɔksi/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Overly self-confident or self-assertive: Describes a person who is excessively confident in their own abilities or importance, often in a way that is arrogant or irritating to others.
Usage and Examples
- As an adjective describing a person:
- The new player was talented but so cocky that he alienated his teammates.
- She gave a cocky grin after winning the debate.
- As an adjective describing behavior or attitude:
- His cocky attitude made it difficult for others to work with him.
- It was a cocky move to challenge the champion so early in his career.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Connotation: The word almost always carries a negative connotation. It implies that the confidence is unwarranted, excessive, and borders on arrogance. It suggests a lack of humility.
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: The standard forms are cockier (comparative) and cockiest (superlative).
- After his first success, he became even cockier.
- He was the cockiest contestant the judges had ever seen.
Variants and Related Words
- Cockiness (noun): The quality of being cocky.
- His cockiness was his greatest weakness.
Synonyms
- Arrogant: Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.
- Conceited: Excessively proud of oneself; vain.
- Overconfident: Too confident; not cautious enough.
- Brash: Self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way.
Antonyms
- Modest: Unassuming in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements.
- Humble: Having or showing a low estimate of one's own importance.
- Diffident: Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- As cocky as a bantam rooster: This simile vividly compares a person's arrogant strut and attitude to that of a small but feisty rooster. It emphasizes the showy, puffed-up nature of cockiness.
- He strutted into the room, as cocky as a bantam rooster.
Adjective
- overly self-confident or self-assertive
- a very cocky young man