bragging rights

American

[brag-ing rahyts] / ˈbræg ɪŋ ˌraɪts /

plural noun

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

bragging rights British

plural noun

notional privileges that are gained by defeating a close rival

"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

Etymology

Origin of bragging rights

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

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

There are not just bragging rights at stake on Sunday.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Amen Thompson added 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Houston -- gaining statistical bragging rights over his twin brother Ausar who scored 12 points with eight rebounds and three assists for Detroit.

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

Do you still call that state bragging rights?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

Though he’d only been gone from the United States two months, Bobby had taken from his competitive experiences more than just bragging rights.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023