Definition of boast

Email this page to a friend

< Boas, Franz

boast >

boast¹    (bst) KEY 

VERB:
boast·ed, boast·ing, boasts
VERB:
intr.

To glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way.

VERB:
tr.

1. To speak of with excessive pride.
2. To possess or own (a desirable feature): "[the] capital of a region in the southeast that boasts bountiful coal fields" (US Air).
3. To contain; have.

NOUN:

1. The act or an instance of bragging.
2. A source of pride.

---

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English bosten, from bost, a brag

OTHER FORMS:
boaster(Noun), boastful(Adjective), boastful·ly(Adverb), boastful·ness(Noun)

SYNONYMS:
boast¹, brag, crow², vaunt

These verbs all mean to speak with pride, often excessive pride, about oneself or something related to oneself. Boast is the most general: "We confide [that is, have confidence] in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it" (Thomas Jefferson). Brag implies exaggerated claims and often an air of insolent superiority: He bragged about his grades. Crow stresses exultation and often loud rejoicing: No candidate should crow until the votes have been counted. Vaunt suggests ostentatiousness and lofty extravagance of expression: "He did not vaunt of his new dignity, but I understood he was highly pleased with it" (James Boswell).
Usage Note:
Some have objected to the use of boast as a transitive verb meaning "to possess or own (a desirable feature)," as in This network boasts an audience with a greater concentration of professionals and managers than any other broadcast vehicle. This usage is by now well established, however, and is acceptable to 62 percent of the Usage Panel.