Meaning & use
cocksure
Last updated
Presumptuously or arrogantly confident, often to an excessive or unjustified degree.
See it in a sentence
The cocksure rookie assured everyone he'd win the tournament with ease.
Her cocksure attitude in the interview rubbed several panelists the wrong way.
A note on using this word
Despite appearances, the word likely has nothing to do with roosters; it probably derives from "cock" in the older sense of a tap or valve set with certainty in place.
Words with a similar meaning
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