Before the class takes the test, Jerrod brags that he studied more than his classmates and will get the highest score. Tiffani thinks Jerrod is acting cocky. Which of the following adjectives could replace cocky so that the sentence has a positive connotation?

Question

1. Confident.
2. smug.
3. conceited
4. arrogant.

Answer 1

The adjective that could replace "cocky" in a way that gives the sentence a positive connotation is:

1. Confident.

The other options—smug, conceited, and arrogant—have negative connotations.