brag

American  

[brag] / bræg /

verb (used without object)

• brags,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bragged,
  past participle,  past
• bragging
  present participle

1. to use boastful language; boast.

   He bragged endlessly about his high score.

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verb (used with object)

• brags,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bragged,
  past participle,  past
• bragging
  present participle

1. to boast of.

   He bragged that he had won.

   Antonyms:

   depreciate

noun

1. a boast or vaunt.

2. a thing to boast of.

3. a boaster.

4. an old English card game similar to poker.

adjective

1. Archaic. unusually fine; first-rate.

brag British  

/ bræɡ /

verb

1. to speak of (one's own achievements, possessions, etc) arrogantly and boastfully

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noun

1. boastful talk or behaviour, or an instance of this

2. something boasted of

   his brag was his new car

3. a braggart; boaster

4. a card game: an old form of poker

Synonym Usage

See boast ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bragger
  noun
• bragging
  noun
• overbrag
  verb
• outbrag
  verb (used with object)
• bragless
  adjective
• unbragging
  adjective
• braggingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• bragging
  present
• bragged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• brag
  simple
• brags
  simple
• have bragged
  perfect
• has bragged
  perfect
• am bragging
  progressive
• are bragging
  progressive
• is bragging
  progressive
• have been bragging
  perfect progressive
• has been bragging
  perfect progressive

Past

• bragged
  simple
• had bragged
  perfect
• was bragging
  progressive
• were bragging
  progressive
• had been bragging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will brag
  simple
• will have bragged
  perfect
• will be bragging
  progressive
• will have been bragging
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of brag

1350–1400; Middle English brag (noun) ostentation, arrogance, braggen (v.); of obscure origin

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Explanation

When you're bragging, you're boasting. If you can't stop talking about your fancy new shoes, that's bragging. Ever notice how some people are full of themselves and constantly telling you about the great things they've done? Those folks like to brag. Bragging is a verbal kind of showing off. We all do it sometimes, and it's almost always annoying when other people do it. A specific boast can be called a brag. Athletes often brag before big games. But only the winners can brag after, because they backed up their words.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brag brags bragged bragging

“The brag for me is the stability of it,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

"To the thief: we don't fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have, we just wish you obtained it the honourable way."

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

They begin by saying how grateful they are and how they are absolutely not trying to brag.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

When he comes upon Irontown, led by the highborn Lady Eboshi, and listens to its people brag about burning down the boar god’s forest, one might expect him to be angry.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

I hate to brag but if I do say so myself they were cute as a button.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

He keeps going to the doctor, has bruises on both hands, and brags about passing dementia tests.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

The president often brags about the military and its lethality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

While he brags, it is others who have to carry out his orders and, far too often, make the ultimate sacrifice.

From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2026

Nobody brags about water stocks at cocktail parties — that’s how you know they might actually work.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 9, 2025

“My daughter won an award for English and her friend got the highest GPA in the ninth grade,” Mr. Doyle brags.

From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na

Mere hours earlier, Southwest executives bragged that they’d be the first major U.S. airline to have fleetwide Starlink by the end of 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Howard Lutnick, the billionaire commerce secretary, bragged last year that if the Social Security Administration stopped sending checks to his mother-in-law she wouldn’t complain.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

During a hearing over that issue last month, prosecutors revealed jailhouse recordings in which Lavie bragged about exploiting Cloobeck.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

A witness also alleged that Matlala had bragged about his "close connections with very senior police officials", including Sibiya, following his arrest in May last year.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

“I be the Fiercest of the Fierce!” he had bragged to her once.

From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry

“We got a million of these,” he said after doling out a few verses of “On to the Next One” — not bragging so much as explaining.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

They say they are mainly driven by the adrenaline rush, tradition and, of course, the bragging rights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Joining the fight for Premier League bragging rights are Manchester United, majority-owned by US family the Glazers and Chelsea, whose ownership group is headed by American Todd Boehly.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

If any move does materialise for Romero, it would be a sensational development and be another deal, following the one for Eze last season, which would present a chance for bragging rights for Arsenal fans.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

“You should hear Geri bragging about what a good student you are.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

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