What does swaggered mean?
Swaggered is the past tense of swagger, a word for moving, speaking, or behaving with conspicuous confidence and self-importance. It often suggests that someone is displaying their status, abilities, or success in an exaggerated or theatrical way: a triumphant champion might swagger down the street, while a boastful speaker might swagger about a minor achievement. The verb is normally negative in connotation. Its sense ranges from merely showing off to more strongly implying arrogance, emptiness, or excessive pride. As an inflected form, it appears most often in narrative descriptions and is less common in formal or technical writing than its base form. Its past-tense ending makes it particularly suited to recounting a completed display of confidence or boastfulness.
verbMoved or behaved in an arrogant, self-important, or ostentatious manner. It is the past tense of swagger.
- Moved or behaved with conspicuous confidence, often in a self-important or showy manner.
- Bosted or spoke about oneself with exaggerated pride and superiority.
"He swaggered into the room as if everyone had been waiting for him."
"After winning the competition, she swaggered around the winners' circle."
"He swaggered about his success whenever the subject arose."
To swagger is to make your confidence part of the performance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does swaggered come from?
The word swagger is of uncertain origin; its earliest uses are associated with the early 17th century. Early senses included displaying oneself ostentatiously and talking boastfully, developments that remain central to the modern verb. The exact source of the word has not been securely established, so proposed connections with similar-looking or similar-sounding forms should be treated cautiously.
Related word forms
How swaggered is actually used
The word is usually critical or humorous rather than neutral. It describes conspicuous, often overconfident behaviour and can imply that the person's pride is excessive.