What does cocksureness mean?
Cocksureness is a noun describing excessive, unshakable confidence in oneself or one's opinions — a certainty so complete that it tips into presumption or arrogance. It derives from the adjective "cocksure," which combines "cock" (in its older sense of a jaunty, swaggering manner) with "sure." Unlike ordinary confidence or self-assurance, cocksureness carries a distinctly negative connotation: it implies that the person's conviction is not merely firm but unjustified and often blind to evidence or other viewpoints. The word appears most often in evaluative or critical contexts, such as describing a colleague who dismisses advice out of hand or a public figure whose certainty precedes their competence. Common collocations include phrases like "an air of cocksureness." Because it names a recognizable human failing — the gap between how sure someone acts and how sure they should be — it remains a useful word for writers and speakers who want a single term for overconfidence with an edge of arrogance.
nounThe quality or state of being cocksure; excessive, unshakable confidence in oneself or one's beliefs, often to the point of arrogance.
- Excessive, presumptuous self-confidence; unwarranted certainty about one's own abilities, judgments, or beliefs.
"His cocksureness in the interview impressed some panelists but struck others as arrogance."
"She answered every question with a cocksureness that bordered on insolence."
"The startup founder's cocksureness blinded him to the flaws in his business plan."
Rarely pluralized; like most abstract nouns denoting qualities, it is normally used as an uncountable mass noun.
"The memoir catalogued the cocksurenesses of youth with rueful hindsight."
"Cock" here has nothing to do with roosters strutting — it's the old English sense of a jaunty, swaggering attitude, which is why calling someone cocksure is rarely a compliment.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cocksureness
Cocksureness derives from the adjective "cocksure," formed in English from "cock" — used since at least the early modern period to mean a pert, saucy, or swaggering person or manner (as in "cocky") — combined with "sure." The compound "cocksure" meaning perfectly certain is attested by the early 17th century, and the abstract noun "cocksureness" followed as a natural derivation. The element "cock" in this sense is native English and unrelated to the bird in origin of meaning, though the strutting rooster likely reinforced the image. There are no significant cognates in other languages, as the formation is specifically English.
Related word forms
How cocksureness is actually used
Cocksureness is almost always pejorative — it suggests confidence that is not merely strong but unjustified and irritating to others. It is somewhat informal and less common than its adjective base "cocksure." The word is used in both British and American English, though it may read as slightly more colloquial in American contexts.
Easily confused with cocksureness
Sureness is simply confidence or certainty, while cocksureness implies an excessive, presumptuous confidence that often carries a negative connotation.