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View synonyms for boastful

boastful

[ bohst-fuhl ]

adjective

  1. given to or characterized by boasting. boast.

    Synonyms: egotistic, vainglorious, cocksure, pompous, cocky, conceited



boastful

/ ˈbəʊstfʊl /

adjective

  1. tending to boast; characterized by boasting
“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈboastfulness, noun
  • ˈboastfully, adverb
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Other Words From

  • boastful·ly adverb
  • boastful·ness noun
  • over·boastful adjective
  • over·boastful·ly adverb
  • over·boastful·ness noun
  • un·boastful adjective
  • un·boastful·ly adverb
  • un·boastful·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of boastful1

First recorded in 1275–1325, boastful is from the Middle English word bostful. See boast 1, -ful
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Example Sentences

Without attribution, that does sound just a tad boastful, but it may well be true.

Everyone was loudmouthed and boastful — it’s Boston, after all — but also visibly nervous about whether Babe Ruth’s ghost would show up and wreck what seemed like a beautiful team.

From Vox

Despite boastful claims of archival excavation, the author does not deeply engage the primary source material available in American repositories.

The boastful Soviets had sent their Luna rockets on a world tour.

Most embarrassing, they made boastful claims about their closeness with and influence over all sorts of politicians and government officials.

On video, Raymond Santana was smug, boastful, and nonchalant by turns, vividly reenacting who did what during the rape.

He then regales them, boastful without even the sheen of a humblebrag, with tales of his glittering political career.

Water got trucked in, and CNN arrived on the scene, creating a national embarrassment for normally boastful Texas officials.

The self-promotion, Seelie thinks, is somewhat boastful, and he wonders, is it worth it?

But he couldn't resist adding that it was "difficult to sing," and that "its sentiments are boastful and bloodthirsty."

They heard the boastful war songs of their foes echoing weirdly across the plain.

A moment afterward the Kiowa finished his boastful tale, and received a noisy ovation from his people.

They glared fiercely into the east, and murmured boastful threats against the hated foes in the distant camp.

They lingered a moment or so, shouting boastful threats against the Pawnees.

There would come between me and my page Archie Merridew's pink and boastful face as I had seen him issue from the library door.

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More About Boastful

What does boastful mean?

Boastful is used to describe someone who is known for boastingbragging, especially in a way that exaggerates or shows excessive pride about the boaster’s skills, possessions, or accomplishments.

Boastful is especially used to describe a person who boasts all the time. It can also be used to describe such claims, as in He made boastful claims about all of the awards he had won.

Boastful people most often boast about themselves—their skills, their possessions, or the things that they have accomplished—but a person can also be boastful about someone else. A parent might be boastful about their child’s accomplishments, for example.

Example: No one has ever actually seen him perform, but that doesn’t stop him from being boastful about how good he is.

Where does boastful come from?

The first records of the word boastful come from around 1300. Its base word, boast, comes from the Middle English bosten, but its ultimate origin is uncertain.

People who are described as boastful are often trying to make their accomplishments or skills seem greater than they actually are. But this isn’t always the case—a person’s boasts may be true. Still, saying that a person is boastful usually means that they are thought to lack humility—that they are too prideful.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to boastful?

  • boastfully (adverb)
  • boastfulness (noun)
  • boast (verb)

What are some synonyms for boastful?

What are some words that share a root or word element with boastful

What are some words that often get used in discussing boastful?

How is boastful used in real life?

Boastful is almost always used in a negative way to criticize a person for bragging too much.

Try using boastful!

Which of the following words could be used to describe someone who is known for being boastful?

A. braggadocious

B. prideful

C. conceited

D. all of the above

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