To strut means to walk with exaggerated confidence, pushing your chest out and moving with obvious pride. Picture a rooster in a barnyard, stepping high with its head held up, showing off its bright feathers. That's strutting. When someone struts into a room after winning a competition or acing a test, they walk in a way that makes sure everyone notices how pleased they are with themselves.

Strutting suggests more than ordinary confidence. It has a showing-off quality to it. A student might strut down the hallway after being elected class president, or an athlete might strut off the field after scoring the winning goal. The walk itself says, “Look at me, I'm amazing!”

The word can carry a hint of criticism, suggesting someone is being a bit too proud or showy. If your friend tells you to stop strutting around, they might mean you're overdoing the celebration. But sometimes strutting is just harmless fun, like when performers strut across a stage, using that confident walk to entertain an audience or add energy to a show.

As a noun, a strut is a proud, showy walk: “He did a strut down the hallway.”