boaster
1 Americannoun
noun
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
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.
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
Yet despite this density of jokes, Mr. Friedlander — whose stand-up persona is a know-it-all boaster nicknamed the World Champion — never seems like he’s in a rush.
From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2017
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
Larry Bird is not the first name that comes to mind when thinking of great trash-talkers in history, but he was a stealth boaster.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2014
Our enemy is that boaster, who speaks in the name of the common people and is ready to tickle us under the armpits, so that we should smile on him.
From Whirlpools A Novel of Modern Poland by Sienkiewicz, Henryk
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.
