boast
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especially about oneself.
-
to speak with pride (often followed byof ).
He boasted of his family's wealth.
verb (used with object)
-
to speak of with excessive pride or vanity.
He boasts himself a genius.
-
to be proud in the possession of.
The town boasts a new school.
noun
-
a thing boasted of; a cause for pride.
Talent is his boast. It is her boast that she has never betrayed a friend.
-
exaggerated or objectionable speech; bragging.
empty boasts and threats.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(intr; sometimes foll by of or about) to speak in exaggerated or excessively proud terms of one's possessions, skills, or superior qualities; brag
-
(tr) to possess (something to be proud of)
the city boasts a fine cathedral
noun
-
a bragging statement
-
a possession, attribute, attainment, etc, that is or may be bragged about
noun
verb
verb
Usage
What does boast mean? To boast is to brag, especially in a way that exaggerates or shows excessive pride about the boaster’s skills, possessions, or accomplishments.The word boast can also be used as a noun to refer to such a claim, as in He made outrageous boasts about how he once rode a shark.People most often boast about themselves—their skills, their possessions, or the things that they have accomplished—but a person can also boast about someone else. A parent might boast about their child’s accomplishments, for example.Someone who is known for boasting or who boasts excessively can be described as boastful.The word boast can also mean to possess something in a way that’s considered worthy of pride, as in The school boasts a new library and gym. A product may be said to boast a certain feature, as in The new model boasts a 10-inch display. This sense of the word does not imply exaggeration or excessive pride like the primary sense of the word often does.Example: He boasts about how good he is, but I’ve never actually seen him perform.
Related Words
Boast, brag imply vocal self-praise or claims to superiority over others. Boast usually refers to a particular ability, possession, etc., that may be one of such kind as to justify a good deal of pride: He boasts of his ability as a singer. Brag, a more colloquial term, usually suggests a more ostentatious and exaggerated boasting but less well-founded: He brags loudly of his marksmanship.
Other Word Forms
- boasted adjective
- boaster noun
- boasting noun
- boastingly adverb
- boastless adjective
Etymology
Origin of boast1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bost (noun), bosten (verb), of uncertain origin
Origin of boast2
First recorded in 1815–25; of uncertain origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Elephant Valley, complete with a multistory lodge with open-air restaurants and bars, boasts a natural design that isn’t influenced by the elephant’s African home so much as it is in conversation with it.
From Los Angeles Times
Three of the four bedrooms boast en suite bathrooms and open to outdoor spaces.
From MarketWatch
Despite her ultraconservative policies, Japan's first woman premier boasts overwhelming support among young people ahead of Sunday's snap election.
From Barron's
And while San Francisco may have the famous California Academy of Sciences, San Jose boasts the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, with mummies and a robot version of Thoth, ancient “Keeper of the Mysteries.”
England boast a wealth of explosive talent at the top of the batting order, with Buttler, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett all options as openers at the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
