Swagger means to walk or behave with a bold, confident attitude, often in a way that shows off. When someone swaggers into a room, they move with their shoulders back and their head high, radiating self-assurance. A basketball player might swagger onto the court after making three perfect shots in a row.

The word captures a specific kind of confidence that's visible to others through movement and behavior. You can see it in how a cowboy in an old Western movie might swagger through the saloon doors, or in how a student who aced a difficult exam might walk home with a bit of swagger in their step.

Swagger can be positive when it comes from real accomplishment and genuine confidence. But too much swagger can tip into arrogance, especially if someone is showing off without having earned it. There's a difference between the quiet confidence of someone who knows their abilities and the loud swagger of someone trying to impress everyone around them. The word works as both a verb (to swagger) and a noun (swagger).