boast

[ bohst ]

See synonyms for: boast boasted boasting boasts on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especially about oneself.
to speak with pride (often followed by of): 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.

Origin of boast

1250–1300; Middle English bost (noun), bosten (v.), of uncertain origin

synonym study For boast

1, 2. 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 words from boast

boast·ing·ly, adverb
boastless, adjective

Words Nearby boast

Other definitions for boast (2 of 2)

boast²

[ bohst ]

verb (used with object)Masonry.

to dress or shape (stone) roughly.

Origin of boast

First recorded in 1815–25; of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use boast in a sentence

In 2019, it boasted that it could unlock any iPhone and most Android phones.
Israeli phone hacking company faces court fight over sales to Hong Kong | Patrick O'Neill | August 25, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
While Tailwind’s filing boasts of leveraging Krim’s expertise, himself having taken a digital consumer brand public, it’s worth noting that public market investors haven’t been ebullient about his current company, Casper.
Casper’s CEO is filing for a blank check company. What does he plan to buy? | Lucinda Shen | August 19, 2020 | Fortune
His science and education YouTube channels boast many millions of subscribers, and he has started businesses and written books on the back of that success.
TikTok made him famous. Now he’s imagining a world without it | Abby Ohlheiser | August 14, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the least successful franchises in NHL history, boasting the third-worst win percentage of the expansion era.
Can The Hurricanes Win The Stanley Cup With Mediocre Goaltending? | Terrence Doyle | August 11, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
San Diego boasted of its perfect climate, and a lot of people moved here for their health.
Suffragette City: San Diego’s Crucial Role in Getting Women the Vote | Randy Dotinga | August 6, 2020 | Voice of San Diego

Liberals either boast or comfort themselves that their own beliefs push humanity forward.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really. | Ana Marie Cox | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Beer-swilling Britain and Spain now boast impressive varietals while America is challenging France with how much wine is consumed.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries | Clive Irving | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Great Lakes states, for example, boast the largest concentration of engineering jobs (more than 318,000) of any major region.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead | Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
McConnell did what he did in 2005, and he was foolish enough to boast about it in public less than two weeks before an election.
Hooray for Liberal Fear-Mongering! | Michael Tomasky | October 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Badges hanging from their necks boast small national flags, and a cacophony of accents represents more than 20 countries.
A Camp Away From Terror: Where Israeli and Palestinian Kids Find Common Ground | Nina Strochlic | August 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He leant against the wall of his refuge, notwithstanding this boast, and licked the ice to moisten his parched lips.
The Giant of the North | R.M. Ballantyne
He had discovered that the all-glorious boast of Spain was not exempt from the infirmities of common men.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
He was good-looking, as far as regularity of features and a well-formed figure went, but mentally not much to boast of.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow
He may have nothing to boast about himself, and his distorted mind may magnify the deeds of the younger man.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson Lloyd
Piegan shortly proved that he made no vain boast when he asserted his ability to follow their track.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for boast (1 of 3)

boast¹

/ (bəʊst) /

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

Origin of boast

C13: of uncertain origin

Derived forms of boast

boaster, noun
boasting, noun, adjective
boastingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for boast (2 of 3)

boast²

/ (bəʊst) /

verb

(tr) to shape or dress (stone) roughly with a broad chisel

Origin of boast

C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for boast (3 of 3)

boast³

/ (bəʊst) squash /

noun

a stroke in which the ball is hit on to one of the side walls before hitting the front wall

verb

to hit (the ball) in this way or make such a stroke

Origin of boast

C19: perhaps from French bosse the place where the ball hits the wall

Derived forms of boast

boasted, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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