Definition

The quality of being overly confident or certain about something, often without proper justification.

Example

His cocksureness led him to make several mistakes during the presentation.

Conversation

Did you notice how his cocksureness irritated everyone at the meeting?

Yeah, it was like he thought he knew everything.

Exactly! It's one thing to be confident, but that kind of cocksureness is just off-putting.

Totally! It makes it hard for others to share their ideas.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cocksureness → It is formed from "cock" (from Middle English *cok*, meaning a male bird, often used metaphorically to denote arrogance) and "sure" (from Old French *sor*, meaning certain or confident) combined with the suffix "-ness" (meaning the state of being). The word describes the state of being arrogantly confident or overly sure of oneself.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'cock' as a symbol of arrogance and 'sure' meaning confident — together they describe someone who is overly confident.

Visually Confused Words