DictionaryAI

swagger

USSWAG-er/ˈswæɡ.ɚ/UKSWAG-uh/ˈswæɡ.ə/

Pluralswaggers

Verbswaggers, swaggering, swaggered

7 meanings of swagger

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  1. 1
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A confident or proud way of walking, behaving, or performing, sometimes seeming too sure of yourself.

    The team played with real swagger after winning five games in a row.

    The band had more swagger after their song hit the radio.

    UsageOften praise: play with swagger.

    Similarconfidence, bravado, cockiness, arrogance

    Note
  2. 2
    act above othersverbintransitive
    To walk or act in a proud way, as if you are better than others.

    He swaggered into the room as if he owned the place.

    Don't swagger around just because you won one game.

    UsageSay swagger into a room or swagger around.

    Similarstrut, parade, prance

    Note
  3. 3
    swaying walkverbintransitive
    To walk while your body rocks from side to side.

    The tired sailor swaggered down the dock, still rocking from the waves.

    Fat geese swagger across the farmyard every morning.

    Similarsway, lurch, waddle

    Note
  4. 4
    big talknouncountable or uncountable
    Proud talk in which someone keeps bragging about themselves.

    His speech was full of swagger but had no real plan.

    We were tired of the coach's swagger about how easily they would win.

    UsageOften said with bluster: swagger and bluster.

    Similarbluster, bravado, boasting, bragging

    Note
  5. 5
    verbintransitive
    To brag loudly, or to push people around with big talk.

    He swaggered about how he could beat anyone in a fight.

    He likes to swagger about how fast his new car is.

    UsageSay swagger about something.

    Similarboast, brag, bluster, crow

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    stylishadjectivearchaic
    Stylish and in fashion.
    Mrs. Morton was well known for her Americanisms, her swagger dinner parties, and beautiful Paris gowns.
    1908, Baroness Orczy, The Old Man in the CornerHere, swagger means stylish and in fashion.
    It is to be a very swagger affair, with notables from every part of Europe, and they seem determined that no one connected with a newspaper shall be admitted.
    1899, Robert Barr, Jennie Baxter
    Note
  2. 7
    wandering workernounhistoricalAustraliaNew Zealandcountable
    A person who carried their bed and belongings rolled up in a bundle.

    A swagger knocked at the back door asking for bread and tea.

    During the hard years, many swaggers walked the country roads.

    Similarswagman, swaggie, tramp

    Note

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Origins

Meanings 1–6

From swag, "to sway". It is first found in A Midsummer Night's Dream, written about 1595.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Swagger derives from swag, meaning ‘to sway’. en.wiktionary.org
  • Swagger is first attested in A Midsummer Night's Dream. en.wiktionary.org
  • The first publication was in 1600; 1595 is an estimated composition date. folger.edu
Meaning 7

Made from swag + -er.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact