boast

1 of 3

verb

boasted; boasting; boasts

intransitive verb

1

: to praise oneself extravagantly in speech : speak of oneself with excessive pride

boasting about her accomplishments

2

archaic : glory, exult

transitive verb

1

: to speak of or assert with excessive pride

He liked to boast that he was the richest man in town.

2

a

: to possess and often call attention to (something that is a source of pride)

boasts a new stadium

b

: have, contain

a room boasting no more than a desk and a chair

boaster noun

boaster

2 of 3

noun (1)

boast·​er

ˈbō-stər

plural -s

: one who boasts : braggart

boaster

3 of 3

noun (2)

boast·​er

ˈbō-stər

plural -s

: drove sense 4a

Synonyms of boast

Verb

• brag

Choose the Right Synonym for boast

boast, brag, vaunt, crow mean to express pride in oneself or one's accomplishments.

boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration,

boasts of every trivial success

but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride.

the town boasts one of the best museums in the area

brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself.

bragging of their exploits

vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag.

vaunted his country's military might

crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging.

crowed after winning the championship

Examples of boast in a Sentence

Verb

he boasted about his latest killing in real estate so I thought he should be the one to pay for dinner

the hotel boasts nearly 50 rooms

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Like the Smokies, Allegheny National Forest boasts its own impressive roster of wildlife, including black bear, deer, foxes, wild turkeys, salamanders, beavers, and snowshoe hare. —Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2026

Just below the neckline, the lingerie-style slip dress also boasted a floral patch embellishment in white. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 June 2026

In its second year, the Red Sea fest hosted nearly 40,000 filmgoers and more than 4,000 film professionals over 10 days in December 2022 and boasted a jury hosted by Oliver Stone. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 6 June 2026

Bateson boasted of his responsibility while awaiting trial, but lack of hard evidence meant he was never charged with those crimes. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English boster, from bosten to boast + -er

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for boast

• coast
• doest
• dosed
• ghost
• grossed
• host
• most
• moste
• roast
• toast
• almost
• engrossed

Kids Definition

boast

1 of 2 noun

ˈbōst 

1

: the act of boasting

2

: a cause for pride

boastful

ˈbōst-fəl 

adjective

boastfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

boastfulness noun

boast

2 of 2 verb

1

: to praise one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments

2

: to have and display proudly

our band boasted new uniforms

boaster noun