boaster

¹ American  

[boh-ster] / ˈboʊ stər /

noun

1. a person who boasts or brags.

---

boaster ² American  

[boh-ster] / ˈboʊ stər /

noun

Masonry.

1. a chisel for boasting stone.

---

Usage

What does boaster mean? A boaster is someone who is known for boasting—bragging, 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 was a boaster who was known for his outrageous boasts—like about how he once rode a shark. Boasters most often boast about themselves—their skills, their possessions, or the things that they have accomplished—but a boaster can also boast about someone else. A parent might be called a boaster because they constantly boast about their child’s accomplishments, for example. A boaster can be described as boastful. Example: Don’t be such a boaster—try to have a little humility.

Etymology

Origin of boaster¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at boast ¹, -er ¹

Origin of boaster²

First recorded in 1875–80; boast ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He was not a boaster, but it was clear from his pictures—of war, of conflict, of civil unrest—that he was brave.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 8, 2019

Turns out the closeness, once highly anticipated, was now suffocating because the friend was a nonstop talker, boaster, and one-upper.

From Slate • Dec. 29, 2014

Yeah, whether it’s Richard Sherman or someone else, we love the big boast, even if the end game is invariably to tsk-tsk the boaster for having the temerity to speak his mind.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2014

At the risk of sounding like a big boasty boaster, to be funny is easier for me than anything else.

From The Guardian • Apr. 21, 2013

And how finely the same celebrated poet says, in his grand concluding words, 'So ever does the boaster fall, and when he thinks he firmly stands, then lies he in the ditch.'

From Seed-time and Harvest A Novel by Reuter, Fritz