flaunt
Americanverb (used without object)
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flaunts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flaunted,
past participle, past
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flaunting
present participle
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to parade or display oneself conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly.
-
to wave conspicuously in the air.
verb (used with object)
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flaunts,
present (3rd person singular)
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flaunted,
past participle, past
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flaunting
present participle
noun
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the act of flaunting.
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Obsolete. something flaunted.
verb
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to display (possessions, oneself, etc) ostentatiously; show off
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to wave or cause to wave freely; flutter
noun
Usage
Flaunt is sometimes wrongly used where flout is meant: they must be prevented from flouting (not flaunting ) the law
Commonly Confused
The use of flaunt to mean “to ignore or treat with disdain” ( He flaunts community standards with his behavior ) is strongly objected to by many usage guides, which insist that only flout can properly express this meaning. From its earliest appearance in English in the 16th century, flaunt has had the meanings “to display oneself conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly” in public and “to parade or display ostentatiously.” These senses approach those of flout, which dates from about the same period: “to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at; mock.” A sentence like Once secure in his new social position, he was able to flaunt his lower-class origins can thus be ambiguous in current English. Considering the similarity in pronunciation of the two words, it is not surprising that flaunt has assumed the meanings of flout and that this use has appeared in the speech and edited writing of even well-educated, literate persons. Nevertheless, many regard the senses of flaunt and flout as entirely unrelated and concerned speakers and writers still continue to keep them separate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flauntsimple
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flauntssimple
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have flauntedperfect
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has flauntedperfect
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am flauntingprogressive
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are flauntingprogressive
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is flauntingprogressive
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have been flauntingperfect progressive
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has been flauntingperfect progressive
Past
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flauntedsimple
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had flauntedperfect
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was flauntingprogressive
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were flauntingprogressive
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had been flauntingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flaunt
First recorded in 1560–70; of obscure origin; compare Norwegian dialect flanta “to show off”
Explanation
Flaunt is "to display proudly or show off," like when you flaunt your new Italian leather jacket by wearing it to the beach and pretending you're cold to make sure everyone sees it. Although we love it when a peacock flaunts his colorful feathers, when a person does the same thing we feel bad. Flaunt is like bragging, which can bum people out because they don't have whatever you're showing off, like that cool jacket. When rich people flaunt their wealth by speeding past you in their limo, they may as well splash a mud puddle on your white clothes. Leave the flaunting for peacocks and stars in bad reality TV shows.
Vocabulary lists containing flaunt
The Crossover
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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A Lesson Before Dying
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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.
See Examples For:
Just last week, the actress shared a mirror selfie in which she could be seen showing off her growing baby bump, pulling up her black shirt to flaunt her stomach, while grimacing at the camera.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Lots of other jewellery, lots of watches that they all seemed so happy to flaunt," Jane said.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
For writers, hiring such readers is a badge of good “literary citizenship” and a chance to flaunt their virtue as well as their success by boasting of how many they can afford.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Swift pointed out that nobody wants a guest to commandeer a wedding speech to flaunt their own relationship news.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
“I don’t think Raven actually hid this book. She’s probably one of those know-it-alls who likes to flaunt every fact in her head. Yippee for you, you know a lot about Edgar Allan Poe.”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
That pricey pad is also where the “Gossip Girl” alum flaunts her fashion-forward wardrobe on Instagram, and from those pretty pics, we’ve gotten a peek at the rustic-cool spaces.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
The Sheehans cast a vote against the Millionaires name on the grounds that it flaunts local wealth and gives the town a bad rap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Sandler called the movie “Happy Gilmore” and found a wide audience that loved it for its irreverence about a game that flaunts hushed reverence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025
By contrast, Soho House proudly flaunts Bollywood star Ali Fazal, a member, on its in-house magazine cover.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2025
I want to go to Duke, he flaunts Carolina Blue.
From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander
Kim has flaunted his ties with China and Russia, holding high-profile summits with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
In an interview, Bowen said her new Mercedes, which she has flaunted in numerous TikToks, cost just over $100,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Kumi had long flaunted luxury items online to his more than 100,000 Instagram followers.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
At times, it reminded me of John Carpenter’s little-seen, Lauren Hutton-starring 1978 film, “Someone’s Watching Me!,” an equally economical yet surprisingly stylish little TV movie that flaunted the still-budding horror legend’s early talents.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026
A great tree, fallen across one comer, leaned against the trees that still stood arid a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
He has appeared in countless videos, flaunting an ultra-luxurious lifestyle of fast cars, private jets, and yachts.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
An overreliance on precious metals in the flaunting of one’s wealth can give the impression of protesting too much.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
To see her teammates Jordan Woolery keep flaunting her flashy slash line and Taylor Tinsley sharpening her wicked arsenal of pitches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
"Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!" the Southern Command posted on X, alongside a video flaunting the ship's capabilities.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Cahokia’s rulers tried to bolster their position by building even bigger houses and flaunting even more luxury goods like fancy pottery and jewelry made from exotic semiprecious stones.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
