What does gigman mean?
Gigman is an informal, chiefly British noun for a man whose conduct is conspicuously swaggering, boastful, or ostentatious. Rather than simply describing confidence, the word implies that the display is performative and intended to attract notice, often through exaggerated masculine bravado. A speaker might call someone a gigman after they repeatedly parade their status, possessions, or achievements. The expression is usually dismissive or teasing, although its force varies with tone: it may be affectionate among friends and sharply derogatory in criticism. Gigman entered British English in the late nineteenth century as a gender-specific formation from the period slang gig, meaning a swaggering or showy fellow, plus man. Although more established in British usage, the term is also understood in North American English. It characterizes a manner of behaving rather than a formal personality type, and related terms include show-off, braggart, swaggerer, and loudmouth.
nounA man who displays swaggering, boastful, or conspicuously ostentatious behavior. The term often implies exaggerated masculine bravado and a desire to attract attention.
- A swaggering or ostentatious man, especially one who makes a conspicuous display of masculine bravado, status, or self-importance.
"He turned every minor achievement into a parade, leaving his friends to call him a gigman."
"He turned every minor achievement into a parade, leaving his friends to call him a gigman."
"The office's resident gigman arrived in a new convertible and immediately began telling everyone about it."
The standard plural changes the internal y to i before adding -en.
"The two gigmen monopolized the conversation all evening."
Confidence is useful; a gigman is confidence with the volume turned up.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gigman
Gigman was formed in late-19th-century British English from the now-obsolete slang noun gig, used for a swaggering or showy fellow, together with man. The addition of man made the masculine reference explicit. The source word gig survives today chiefly in unrelated senses, so gigman has few close modern relatives.
Related word forms
How gigman is actually used
Informal and usually dismissive or teasing. It can be affectionate in familiar company but strongly derogatory when describing someone perceived as boastful, pretentious, or attention-seeking. The term's historical association with masculine swagger may also make it unsuitable in some contemporary contexts.