bragging rights

American  

[brag-ing rahyts] / ˈbræg ɪŋ ˌraɪts /

plural noun

1. the presumed right to brag or boast, often associated with winning a contest of skill, as cooking or fishing.

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bragging rights British  

plural noun

1. notional privileges that are gained by defeating a close rival

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Etymology

Origin of bragging rights

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

There’s more on the line than bragging rights.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Videos ranking the best players of specific games show that bragging rights accrue long after the achievement itself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

But sometimes mom and dad have to intervene to remind them it’s good for both to do well when it comes to family bragging rights.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Pegula not only walked away with bragging rights over her podcast co-host, but she also won a bet that means Keys must sample something which is a Thanksgiving tradition for the Pegula family.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

We’d gone to a step show and watched a bunch of guys from the Black fraternities compete for bragging rights as the best steppers on campus.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad