Swagger
/ˈswæɡ.ər/noun
To walk or behave in a very confident, often arrogant way.
Did you know?The word first appears in English in the late 16th century as a verb meaning to strut or boast, and its exact origin is uncertain, but it is often linked to the old idea of a swinging, wavering movement rather than a mystical root.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
swagger
“to walk or behave in a boastful, blustering way”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swag-
“to sway, swing, or move unsteadily”
Old Norse
Old Norse
svagga
“to sway or rock”
Middle English
English
swagen
“to sway, swing, or move heavily”
Modern English
English
swagger
“to walk or conduct oneself with exaggerated confidence”