different between supercilious vs cocksure

English

From Latin supercili?sus (“haughty”), from supercilium (“eyebrow, arrogance”).

supercilious (comparative more supercilious, superlative most supercilious)

Arrogantly superior; showing contemptuous indifference; haughty.
- Now he was a sturdy, straw haired man of thirty with a rather hard mouth and a supercilious manner.
- 2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, "British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2013):
  Buffeted by criticism of his policy on Europe, battered by rebellion in the ranks over his bill to legalize same-sex marriage and wounded by the perception that he is supercilious, contemptuous and out of touch with mainstream Conservatism, Mr. Cameron earlier this week took the highly unusual step of sending a mass e-mail (or, as he called it, “a personal note”) to his party’s grass-roots members.

Probably from cock +? sure, early 16th c.

cocksure (comparative more cocksure, superlative most cocksure)

(informal) too confident; overconfident
- 1716, Alexander Pope, letter to the Earl of Burlington
  I thought myself cocksure of his horse, which he readily promis'd me.
- Cocksure certainty is the source of much that is worst in our present world, and it is something of which the contemplation of history ought to cure us, not only or chiefly because there were wise men in the past, but because so much that was thought wisdom turned out to be folly – which suggests that much of our own supposed wisdom is no better. I do not mean to maintain that we should lapse into a lazy scepticism. We should hold our beliefs, and hold them strongly. Nothing great is achieved without passion, but underneath the passion there should always be that large impersonal survey which sets limits to actions that our passions inspire.

Send