Boast Definition and Meaning
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Published on June 29, 2026
Boast refers to speak with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. e.g., He often boasts about his culinary skills.
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Boast Definitions
To talk proudly about oneself.
She boasts about her new job to anyone who will listen.
To brag openly and without shame.
During the meeting, he boasted of his role in the project's success.
To show off one's achievements or possessions.
She likes to boast about her antique car collection.
To exaggerate one's own worth or capabilities.
He's known to boast about skills he barely possesses.
To possess a feature that is a source of pride.
The new sports complex boasts a state-of-the-art gym.
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To claim, often without justification.
He boasts that he can fix anything, but we have yet to see it.
To talk or write about oneself or something related to oneself in a proud or self-admiring way.
To say (something about oneself) in a proud or self-admiring way.
To have or possess (a desirable feature)
A mall that boasts 80 shops.
To shape or form (stone) roughly with a broad chisel.
The act or an instance of boasting
Got tired of listening to his boasts.
A source of pride.
A brag; ostentatious positive appraisal of oneself.
Something that one brags about.
It was his regular boast that he could eat two full English breakfasts in one sitting.
(squash) A shot where the ball is driven off a side wall and then strikes the front wall.
(intransitive) To brag; to talk loudly in praise of oneself.
(transitive) To speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self-commendation; to extol.
(obsolete) To speak in exulting language of another; to glory; to exult.
(squash) To play a boast shot.
(ergative) To possess something special (e.g. as a feature).
The hotel boasts one of the best views of the sea.
His family boasted a famous name.
To vaunt one's self; to brag; to say or tell things which are intended to give others a high opinion of one's self or of things belonging to one's self; as, to boast of one's exploits courage, descent, wealth.
By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: . . not of works, lest any man should boast.
To speak in exulting language of another; to glory; to exult.
In God we boast all the day long.
To display in ostentatious language; to speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self-commendation; to extol.
Lest bad men should boastTheir specious deeds.
To display vaingloriously.
To possess or have; as, to boast a name.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow.
To dress, as a stone, with a broad chisel.
To shape roughly as a preparation for the finer work to follow; to cut to the general form required.
Act of boasting; vaunting or bragging.
Reason and morals? and where live they most,In Christian comfort, or in Stoic boast!
The cause of boasting; occasion of pride or exultation, - sometimes of laudable pride or exultation.
The boast of historians.
Speaking of yourself in superlatives
Show off
Wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner;
She was sporting a new hat
To speak of oneself with excessive pride.
She boasted that she had the highest grades in class.
To glory in, revel in publicly.
They boasted of their team's victory for weeks.
To express pride in association with something.
As a mentor, he often boasts about his students' accomplishments.
To declare or assert with ostentation.
The company boasts of being the best in the industry.
Boast Snonyms
Gloat
To show mean-spirited happiness; to brag with malice.
He gloated over his competitor's failure.
Brag
To speak too proudly about what one has done or what one owns.
He loves to brag about his vacation adventures.
Show off
To display ostentatiously; to brag openly.
She shows off her new watch every chance she gets.
Preen
To take pride in oneself and one's achievements; often with a sense of showing off.
After the awards ceremony, he preened in front of the cameras.
Crow
To express great satisfaction or pride, especially about one's own success.
She crowed about winning the contest at work.
Swagger
To boast or brag noisily and excessively.
He swaggered into the room, boasting about his latest deal.
Flaunt
To show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them.
She flaunts her designer clothes at every event.
Exult
To show or feel elation, especially as the result of a success.
He exulted in his unexpected promotion.
Vaunt
To boast about something in a slightly conceited manner.
He vaunted his extensive knowledge about wine.
Bluster
To talk boastfully.
He blusters about his financial successes to intimidate others.
Boast Idioms & Phrases
Boast one’s way into trouble
To get into trouble by bragging too much.
He boasted his way into trouble by claiming he could outdrink everyone.
Make boast of
To brag about something.
She made boast of her connections in the industry.
Boast and toast
To celebrate and brag simultaneously.
After the championship, the team had a boast and toast session.
Boast of the town
Being talked about a lot in town in a positive light.
The new bakery is the boast of the town.
Boast one’s credentials
To talk proudly about one’s qualifications.
During the interview, he boasted his credentials extensively.
Nothing to boast about
Not being particularly good or special.
His performance was solid but nothing to boast about.
Live up to one's boasts
To fulfill what one has bragged about.
He finally lived up to his boasts by winning the chess tournament.
Boast under pressure
To brag as a way to cope with stress or to intimidate.
He tends to boast under pressure to mask his insecurities.
Boast the night away
To spend a lot of time boasting.
They boasted the night away, sharing stories of past glories.
Boast by comparison
To make oneself look good by comparison to others.
He often boasts by comparison, putting down others’ achievements.
Idle boast
A claim one makes without the intention or ability to fulfill it.
His promise to invest was just an idle boast.
Boast in vain
To brag about something that does not deserve bragging.
He boasted in vain about his role in the project, which was minimal.
Boast out of turn
To brag at an inappropriate time.
He boasted out of turn, embarrassing his colleagues during the serious meeting.
Boast to the skies
To praise something to the highest degree.
She always boasts her children to the skies.
Boast with pride
To brag with a sense of genuine pride, not necessarily negatively.
Parents often boast with pride about their children's accomplishments.
Boast off
To boast in a way that puts others off.
His constant boasting off during meetings is becoming a problem.
Have much to boast of
To have many achievements or positive qualities.
The university has much to boast of, including several Nobel laureates among its alumni.
Boast one’s way to the top
To advance in one's career more through self-promotion than merit.
He boasted his way to the top of the company ladder.
Boast of ignorance
To openly brag about not knowing something, often ironically.
She boasted of her ignorance about celebrity gossip.
Boast of one's exploits
To brag about one's adventurous or daring actions.
He loves to boast of his exploits in the wild.
Boast Example Sentences
They boast a long history of community service.
They boast about their children's grades at every opportunity.
She never misses an opportunity to boast about her travel adventures.
His boast about running a marathon was met with skepticism.
He can boast a wealth of experience in the industry.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called boast?
Boast comes from the Old Norse word "bāsta," meaning to make oneself seem better by talking about one's own achievements or possessions.
How do we divide boast into syllables?
Boast is divided into syllables as: boast.
How many syllables are in boast?
Boast has one syllable.
What is the verb form of boast?
Boast itself is a verb.
What is the pronunciation of boast?
Boast is pronounced as /boʊst/.
What is the root word of boast?
The root word of boast is the Old Norse word "bāsta."
What is a stressed syllable in boast?
The stressed syllable in boast is "boast."
What is the singular form of boast?
Boast does not have a singular or plural form as it is a verb.
What is the third form of boast?
The third form of boast is boasted.
How is boast used in a sentence?
Boast is used to express speaking with excessive pride about one's achievements or possessions. e.g., He tends to boast about his wealth.
What is the first form of boast?
The first form of boast is boast.
What is the plural form of boast?
Boast does not have a plural form.
What is the opposite of boast?
The opposite of boast is understate or be modest.
Is boast a collective noun?
No, boast is not a collective noun.
Is the word “boast” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Boast as a verb can have both direct and indirect objects depending on the sentence. e.g., He boasts (verb) his wealth (direct object) to his friends (indirect object).
What is the second form of boast?
The second form of boast is boasted.
What part of speech is boast?
Boast is a verb.
Is boast an adverb?
No, boast is not an adverb.
Is the boast term a metaphor?
Boast can be used metaphorically to emphasize the extent of someone's pride in their achievements.
Is the word boast imperative?
Boast can be used in the imperative form. e.g., "Boast about your success!"
Is the word boast Gerund?
Boasting is the gerund form of the verb boast.
Which conjunction is used with boast?
Conjunctions are not specifically associated with the verb boast.
What is another term for boast?
Another term for boast is brag.
Is boast an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, boast is considered an abstract noun as it refers to the act of bragging, which is an intangible concept.
Is boast a vowel or consonant?
The word boast starts with a consonant.
Is boast a countable noun?
When used as a noun, boast is countable. e.g., He had several boasts about his wealth.
Which preposition is used with boast?
Common prepositions used with boast include "about" and "of." e.g., He boasts about his skills.
Is boast a noun or adjective?
Boast can be a verb (to speak proudly) or a noun (an act of boasting).
Is boast a negative or positive word?
Boast is often considered negative, as it implies excessive pride and self-satisfaction.
Which determiner is used with boast?
Determiners like "a" or "the" can be used when boast is a noun. e.g., It was quite a boast.
Which vowel is used before boast?
No specific vowel is consistently used before the verb boast.
Which article is used with boast?
The article "the" can be used when boast is a noun. e.g., The boast he made was unbelievable.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
