Dictionary

swagger en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

A frequentative form of swag (“to sway”), first attested in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), see quotations.

Meanings

1. (archaic, slang) Fashionable; trendy.
   • 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, Journalist:
   • Mrs. Morton was well known for her Americanisms, her swagger dinner parties, and beautiful Paris gowns. 1908, Baroness Orczy, The Old Man in the Corner:
   • 15 March, 1896, Ernest Rutherford, letter to Mary Newton Mrs J.J. [Thomson] looked very well and was dressed very swagger and made a very fine hostess.

Forms

wikipedia: A Midsummer Night's Dream

swagger en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

A frequentative form of swag (“to sway”), first attested in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), see quotations.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Confidence, pride.
   • After spending so much of the season looking upwards, the swashbuckling style and swagger of early season Spurs was replaced by uncertainty and frustration against a Norwich side who had the quality and verve to take advantage 2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport:
2. (countable, uncountable) A bold or arrogant strut.
   • He steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk, and would let that cripple of a steamboat get the upper hand of him in a minute. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I:
3. (countable, uncountable) A prideful boasting or bragging.
   • Too often we honor swagger and bluster and the wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their lives on the shattered dreams of others. 1968, Robert F. Kennedy, On the Mindless Menace of Violence:

Forms

Deriveds

swagger portrait · swaggersome · swagger coat · swagger stick · swag

Translations (63)

fi rehentely (prideful boasting or bragging) · bg важничене (confidence, pride) · fr vantardise (prideful boasting or bragging) · tr özgüven (confidence, pride) · it boria (bold or arrogant strut) · ga mustar (bold or arrogant strut) · tr fiyaka (bold or arrogant strut) · fr prétentieux (bold or arrogant strut) · pt marra (bold or arrogant strut) · es fanfarroneo (prideful boasting or bragging) · tr çalım (prideful boasting or bragging) · it spavalderia (bold or arrogant strut) · gl altivez (bold or arrogant strut) · fi öykkäröinti (prideful boasting or bragging) · cs chvástání (prideful boasting or bragging) · gl arrogancia (bold or arrogant strut) · ro fanfaronadă (prideful boasting or bragging) · fr fanfaronnade (prideful boasting or bragging) · fi rehentelijä (bold or arrogant strut) · vi sự tự hào (confidence, pride) · fr outrecuidant (bold or arrogant strut) · ro gasconadă (prideful boasting or bragging) · gl petulancia (bold or arrogant strut) · cs suverénní chůze (bold or arrogant strut) · ru самодово́льная похо́дка (bold or arrogant strut) · ga mustar (prideful boasting or bragging) · ru самоуве́ренность (confidence, pride) · ru уве́ренность в себе́ (confidence, pride) · ru хвастовство́ (prideful boasting or bragging) · de Angeberei (prideful boasting or bragging) · fr hâblerie (prideful boasting or bragging) · es pavoneo (bold or arrogant strut) · de Prahlerei (prideful boasting or bragging) · fi rehvakkuus (confidence, pride) · de Großtuerei (prideful boasting or bragging) · fr plastronnade (prideful boasting or bragging) · gl altiveza (bold or arrogant strut) · ga mustar (confidence, pride) · tr afi (prideful boasting or bragging) · de Stolz (confidence, pride) · de Selbstbewusstsein (confidence, pride) · de Stolzieren (bold or arrogant strut) · cs frajerské pohyby (bold or arrogant strut) · gl fachenda (bold or arrogant strut) · fr fierté (confidence, pride) · fi rehvastelu (prideful boasting or bragging) · vi sự tự tin (confidence, pride) · fr gasconnade (prideful boasting or bragging) · tr fiyaka (prideful boasting or bragging) · tr caka (bold or arrogant strut) · bg самохвалство (prideful boasting or bragging) · tr gösteriş (prideful boasting or bragging) · bg наперена походка (bold or arrogant strut) · tr caka (prideful boasting or bragging) · fr rouleur de mécaniques (bold or arrogant strut) · cs naparování (prideful boasting or bragging) · gl soberbia (bold or arrogant strut) · cs pyšná chůze (bold or arrogant strut) · fi rehvastelija (bold or arrogant strut) · pt bravata (prideful boasting or bragging) · bg перчене (confidence, pride) · ru самоуве́ренная похо́дка (bold or arrogant strut) · ro lăudăroșenie (prideful boasting or bragging)

wikipedia: A Midsummer Night's Dream

swagger en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

A frequentative form of swag (“to sway”), first attested in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595), see quotations.

Meanings

1. To behave (especially to walk or carry oneself) in a pompous, superior manner.
   • He is a political humbug, the greatest of all humbugs; a man who swaggers about London clubs and consults solemnly about his influence, and in the country is a nonentity. 1845, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XI, in Sybil; or The Two Nations. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book II, page 235:
   • What hempen home-ſpuns haue we ſwaggering here, / So neere the Cradle of the Faierie Queene? c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 152, column 1:
2. To boast or brag noisily; to bluster; to bully.
   • “They say there’s something wrong with our president!” Mr. Trump swaggered at his indoor Tulsa rally in June,[…] 2020, Matt Flegenheimer, “A President’s Positive Test and the Year That Won’t Let Up”, in The New York Times:
   • For the common Soldier when he goes to the Market or Ale-house will offer this Money, and if it be refused, perhaps he will SWAGGER and HECTOR, and Threaten to Beat the BUTCHER or Ale-Wife, or take the Goods by Force, and throw them the bad HALF-PENCE. 1724, “The Drapier’s Letters”, in Dublin and London, Jonathan Swift, published 1730, Letter 1, p. 14:
   • To be great is not […] to swagger at our footmen. 1698, Jeremy Collier, A Moral Essay upon Pride:
3. To walk with a swaying motion.
   • It's the injustice… he is so unjust— whiskey-blind, swaggering home at five. 1959, Robert Lowell, “To Speak of Woe That Is in Marriage”, in Life Studies:

Forms

Deriveds

swagger it · swaggerific · swaggerlicious · aswagger · swaggery · swaggerer · swagger-jack · outswagger · swaggeringly

Synonyms

strut one's stuff · boulevardier · figure away · aura farm · venditate · ostent · three-sheet · stunt · cut round · swagger · show away · high-side · flaunt · flex · strut · flaunt · preen · gallery · cut a wide swath · yaya · swag it out · swank · floss · swank · exhibitionize · ostentate · preen · showboat · show off · flamboast · fluff one's feathers · cut it fat · let one's nuts hang

Translations (69)

cs naparovat se (to act in a pompous manner) · grc λαπίζω (to walk with a swaying motion) · de sich wichtigmachen (to act in a pompous manner) · sv svassa (to act in a pompous manner) · th วางมาด (to act in a pompous manner) · nl pralen (to boast or brag noisily) · fi herrastella (to act in a pompous manner) · eo fanfaroni (to boast or brag noisily) · hi इतराना (to act in a pompous manner) · it gloriarsi (to act in a pompous manner) · fi rehvastella (to boast or brag noisily) · ru хва́статься (to boast or brag noisily) · fr fanfaronner (to boast or brag noisily) · cs chvástat se (to boast or brag noisily) · ru ходи́ть вразва́лку (to walk with a swaying motion) · nl snoeven (to boast or brag noisily) · bg перча се (to act in a pompous manner) · fr se la péter (to boast or brag noisily) · nl zich aanstellen (to act in a pompous manner) · bg важнича (to act in a pompous manner) · bg ходя наперено (to walk with a swaying motion) · fi ylvästellä (to act in a pompous manner) · th กร่าง (to act in a pompous manner) · sv skrävla (to boast or brag noisily) · fr rouler des mécaniques (to act in a pompous manner) · mi tāmaramara (to walk with a swaying motion) · th กร่าง (to boast or brag noisily) · fi keinahdella (to walk with a swaying motion) · ota قبارمق (to boast or brag noisily) · fr se vanter (to boast or brag noisily) · cs naparovat se (to boast or brag noisily) · de gockeln (to walk with a swaying motion) · th วางโต (to act in a pompous manner) · it pavoneggiarsi (to walk with a swaying motion) · cs vykračovat si (to walk with a swaying motion) · ota خروسلانمق (to act in a pompous manner) · cs pyšně si vykračovat (to walk with a swaying motion) · fr péter plus haut que son cul (to boast or brag noisily) · fr rouler des épaules (to walk with a swaying motion) · it pavoneggiarsi (to act in a pompous manner) · fr se donner des airs (to act in a pompous manner) · fr plastronner (to act in a pompous manner) · fi rehvastella (to act in a pompous manner) · mi whakatāmaramara (to walk with a swaying motion) · fi rehennellä (to boast or brag noisily) · cs machrovat (to boast or brag noisily) · fa فیریدن (to act in a pompous manner) · cs kráčet (to walk with a swaying motion) · fa خرامیدن (to act in a pompous manner) · mi whakapehapeha (to boast or brag noisily) · it millantarsi (to act in a pompous manner) · es fanfarronear (to boast or brag noisily) · nl paraderen (to walk with a swaying motion) · de prahlen (to boast or brag noisily) · de aufschneiden (to boast or brag noisily) · ru ва́жничать (to act in a pompous manner) · sv vingla (to walk with a swaying motion) · cs vychloubat se (to boast or brag noisily) · de großtun (to act in a pompous manner) · ota صاتمق (to boast or brag noisily) · fr faire le beau (to boast or brag noisily) · es pavonear (to act in a pompous manner) · tr hava atmak (to act in a pompous manner) · bg хваля се (to boast or brag noisily) · de angeben (to boast or brag noisily) · de wichtigtun (to act in a pompous manner) · de stolzieren (to walk with a swaying motion) · nl opscheppen (to boast or brag noisily) · fr se pavaner (to act in a pompous manner)

wikipedia: A Midsummer Night's Dream

swagger en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ə/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈswæɡ.ɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From swag + -er.

Meanings

1. (Australia, New-Zealand, historical) Someone carrying a swag; a swagman.
   • There were now more swaggers passing down Ferry Street and more coming to ask for food […]. 1982, Janet Frame, An Angel at my Table, Virago, published 2024, page 25:
   • She looked down in her half-dreaming state and thought they might be swaggers. There were lots of them that year, camped out on the riverbank netting for whitebait, then fanning out around the streets selling their catch door to door. 2017, Fiona Farrell, Decline and Fall on Savage Street, →ISBN, page 66:

Forms