Swaggering
/ˈswæɡərɪŋ/noun
Walking or behaving in an arrogantly confident, often showy way.
Did you know?The verb swagger is first recorded in the 16th century and likely grew out of a Germanic sound- and motion-word family, with its original sense tied to swaying, blustering movement rather than modern coolness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swag- / *swagraną
“To sway, stagger, or move unsteadily”
Old Norse
ON
sveggja
“To swing or sway”
Middle English
ME
swaggen
“To sway, lurch, or move with a rolling motion”
16th Century
English
swagger
“To walk or behave with a noisy, blustering, boisterous air”
Modern English
English
swaggering
“Displaying showy, self-assured, or arrogantly confident behavior”