swagger
pronunciation
How to pronounce swagger in British English:
UK [ˈswægə(r)]
How to pronounce swagger in American English:
US [ˈswæɡɚ]
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- Noun:
- an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work
- a proud stiff pompous gait
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- Verb:
- to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
- discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
- act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
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- Adjective:
- (British informal) very chic
Word Origin
- swagger (v.)
- 1580s, "to strut in a defiant or insolent manner;" earliest recorded usages are in Shakespeare ("Midsummer Night's Dream," "2 Henry IV," "King Lear"), probably a frequentative form of swag (v.) "to sway." Meaning "to boast or brag" is from 1590s. Related: Swaggered; swaggering. The noun is attested from 1725.
Example
- 1. Behind the new-found swagger , not all went according to plan in china .
- 2. With his dyed-blond hair and confident swagger , 23-year-old keisuke honda is japan 's key player .
- 3. Indian diplomats " swagger around like viceroys , " complains ramesh nath pandey , a conservative former foreign minister .
- 4. The school is not exactly chastened by the current crisis , but nor did it display the swagger of recent years .
- 5. Even the bankers are liable to arrive in davos with some of their old swagger restored .