Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Swagger

Swag′ger

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Swaggered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Swaggering
.]
[Freq. of
swag
.]
1.
To walk with a swaying motion; hence, to walk and act in a pompous, consequential manner.
A man who
swaggers
about London clubs.
Beaconsfield.
2.
To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious; to bluster; to bully.
What a pleasant it is . . . to
swagger
at the bar!
Arbuthnot.
To be great is not . . . to
swagger
at our footmen.
Colier.

Swag′ger

,
Verb.
T.
To bully.
[R.]
Swift.

Swag′ger

,
Noun.
The act or manner of a swaggerer.
He gave a half
swagger
, half leer, as he stepped forth to receive us.
W. Irving.

Webster 1828 Edition


Swagger

SWAG'GER

,
Verb.
I.
To bluster; to bully; to boast or brag noisily; to be tumultuously proud.
What a pleasure it is to swagger at the bar.
To be great is not to swagger at our footmen.

Definition 2024


swagger

swagger

English

Verb

swagger (third-person singular simple present swaggers, present participle swaggering, simple past and past participle swaggered)

  1. To walk with a swaying motion; hence, to walk and act in a pompous, consequential manner.
    • Beaconsfield
      a man who swaggers about London clubs
  2. To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious; to bluster; to bully.
    • Collier
      To be great is not [] to swagger at our footmen.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Jonathan Swift to this entry?)

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

swagger (plural swaggers)

  1. Confidence, pride.
    • 2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport:
      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
  2. A bold or arrogant strut.
    • Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
      [The helmsman] 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 []
  3. A prideful boasting or bragging.
  4. (Australia, historical) Synonym of swagman

Translations

References

  1. swagger” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

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