different between courageous vs cocky

English

Etymology

From Middle English corajous, from Old French corageus, from corage + -eus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k???e?d??s/
• Rhymes: -e?d??s

Adjective

courageous (comparative more courageous, superlative most courageous)

1. Of a person, displaying or possessing courage.

2. Of an action, that requires courage.

Synonyms

• (person): bold, brave, hardy, valorous
• (act): bold, brave, heroic
• See also Thesaurus:brave

Derived terms

• courageously
• courageousness

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /?k?ki/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?ki/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?k?ki/
• Rhymes: -?ki

Etymology 1

From cock (“male domestic chicken”) +? -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense of ‘having the quality of’).

Adjective

cocky (comparative cockier, superlative cockiest)

1. Overly confident; arrogant and boastful.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:arrogant

Alternative forms

• cockey
• cockie (rare)

Translations

Etymology 2

From cock (“male domestic chicken”) +? -y (diminutive suffix).

Noun

cocky (plural cockies)

1. (chiefly Britain, Ireland, colloquial, dated) Used as a term of endearment, originally for a person of either sex, but later primarily for a man.

Alternative forms

• cockey
• cockie

Translations

Etymology 3

The noun is derived from cock(atoo) +? -y (diminutive suffix). The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

cocky (plural cockies) (chiefly Australia, New Zealand, informal)

1. A (familiar name for a) cockatoo.
2. (also attributively) Short for cockatoo farmer (“small-scale farmer”); (by extension) any farmer or owner of rural land.

   Synonyms: cockatoo, crofter

Usage notes

In New Zealand, cocky (sense 2) is often synonymous with sheep cocky (“a sheep farmer”), due to the relative importance of the industry.

Alternative forms

• cockey
• cockie

Derived terms

Verb

cocky (third-person singular simple present cockies, present participle cockying, simple past and past participle cockied)

1. (intransitive, chiefly Australia, informal, historical) To operate a small-scale farm.

   Synonym: cockatoo

Alternative forms

• cockey

Translations

References