Cocksure

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Demonstrating an overly high level of self-confidence that might be mistaken for arrogance
2. Exhibiting an exaggerated and unwarranted confidence that often resembles arrogance
3. Displaying an extreme level of self-assurance that borders on presumptuousness

Etymology: "Cocksure" pairs "cock," meaning rooster, with "sure," and the source dates it to the early 1500s. The usual explanation is that the rooster's strutting and crowing suggested a bird absolutely certain of its own dominance, though the source only says the word is "probably" from these two parts, so this link is an educated guess rather than a documented fact. The second element is the more straightforward one: "sure" comes from Latin "securus," meaning free from care, which is also the source of "secure." The first element, "cock," goes back to the bird itself, and the same sense appears in other old compounds where "cock" suggests boldness or swagger. The word's meaning has stayed close to its original picture. A rooster is a creature that struts with complete confidence, and "cocksure" describes a person who shows that same unshakeable certainty, often more than the facts justify.

Synonyms: overconfident, arrogant, self-assured

Antonyms: uncertain, doubtful