boast

¹ American  

[bohst] / boʊst /

verb (used without object)

1. to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especially about oneself.

2. to speak with pride (often followed byof ).

   He boasted of his family's wealth.

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verb (used with object)

1. to speak of with excessive pride or vanity.

   He boasts himself a genius.

2. to be proud in the possession of.

   The town boasts a new school.

noun

boasts plural

1. a thing boasted of; a cause for pride.

   Talent is his boast. It is her boast that she has never betrayed a friend.

2. exaggerated or objectionable speech; bragging.

   empty boasts and threats.

boast ² American  

[bohst] / boʊst /

verb (used with object)

Masonry.

1. to dress or shape (stone) roughly.

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boast ¹ British  

/ bəʊst /

verb

1. (intr; sometimes foll by of or about) to speak in exaggerated or excessively proud terms of one's possessions, skills, or superior qualities; brag

2. (tr) to possess (something to be proud of)

   the city boasts a fine cathedral

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noun

1. a bragging statement

2. a possession, attribute, attainment, etc, that is or may be bragged about

boast ² British  

/ bəʊst /

noun

1. a stroke in which the ball is hit on to one of the side walls before hitting the front wall

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verb

1. to hit (the ball) in this way or make such a stroke

boast ³ British  

/ bəʊst /

verb

1. (tr) to shape or dress (stone) roughly with a broad chisel

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Usage

What does boast mean? To boast is to brag, 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 made outrageous boasts about how he once rode a shark. People most often boast about themselves—their skills, their possessions, or the things that they have accomplished—but a person can also boast about someone else. A parent might boast about their child’s accomplishments, for example. Someone who is known for boasting or who boasts excessively can be described as boastful. The word boast can also mean to possess something in a way that’s considered worthy of pride, as in The school boasts a new library and gym. A product may be said to boast a certain feature, as in The new model boasts a 10-inch display. This sense of the word does not imply exaggeration or excessive pride like the primary sense of the word often does. Example: He boasts about how good he is, but I’ve never actually seen him perform.

Synonym Usage

Boast, brag imply vocal self-praise or claims to superiority over others. Boast usually refers to a particular ability, possession, etc., that may be one of such kind as to justify a good deal of pride: He boasts of his ability as a singer. Brag, a more colloquial term, usually suggests a more ostentatious and exaggerated boasting but less well-founded: He brags loudly of his marksmanship.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• boaster
  noun
• boasting
  noun
• boasted
  adjective
• boastless
  adjective
• boastingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• boasts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of boast¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bost (noun), bosten (verb), of uncertain origin

Origin of boast²

First recorded in 1815–25; of uncertain origin

Explanation

When you boast you are bragging about yourself and your accomplishments (or maybe those of your family), often to the boredom and annoyance of your audience. Used as either a noun or a verb, boast usually suggests exaggeration, vanity, or pride. Along those lines, English poet Sir Thomas Overbury, who died in 1613, once said, "The man who has nothing to boast of but his illustrious ancestry is like the potato — the best part underground." However, the word can also be used in a positive way: a town can boast a new library, or a school can boast a high graduation rate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boast boasts

The Bowl was said to boast, before the construction of the Hollywood Freeway, a natural acoustical, well, bowl.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

Some workers in Kitakami boast of bonuses that are "impossibly high" for the region, Hana told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

Muse Spark 1.1 is Meta’s first model to boast near-frontier-agentic coding capabilities and a paid application-programming interface.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026

France might boast the most talented roster at the 2026 World Cup, but to reach the quarterfinals, the team also had to get ready for the ugly side of a beautiful game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

There comes a time when those who have been in control too long become satisfied to rest on their oars and boast of their past achievements.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

It boasts two great lead performances, and its shoestring budget makes the entire production all the more impressive.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

The sleek, futuristic-looking, white and yellow vehicle boasts solar panels on the roof that power its engine but also medical devices from x-ray machines to defibrillators.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

He concludes China is selling compute five to 10 times cheaper than the U.S., and, while its product may be inferior, it nonetheless boasts an obvious value proposition.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

The “Himalayan salt room” boasts giant salt rocks from Korea on the walls and ceiling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

For all his boasts and high intentions, he never quite finished anything he set out to do.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Related Words

• claim
• exhibit
• own
• possess