boast

\ ˈbōst

Definition of boast

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a statement expressing excessive pride in oneself : the act or an instance of boasting (see boast entry 2) : brag It may sound like a boast, but I truly am very wealthy.

2 : a cause for pride

boast

verb (1)

boasted; boasting; boasts

Definition of boast (Entry 2 of 3)

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.

2a : 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

boast

verb (2)

boasted; boasting; boasts

Definition of boast (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

: to shape (stone) roughly in sculpture and stonecutting as a preliminary to finer work

Other Words from boast Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about boast

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Choose the Right Synonym for boast

Verb (1)

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

Noun When he says he's the richest man in town, he's not just making an idle boast. We were offended by his boast that he would easily beat us. The museum's proudest boast is its collection of rare gems.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Similar documents surfaced in 2006, after Trump was stung by a book written by Tim O’Brien that ridiculed his boasts of being worth as much as $6 billion. — Peter Elkind, ProPublica, "Meet the Shadowy Accountants Who Do Trump’s Taxes and Help Him Seem Richer Than He Is," 8 May 2020 Goldman’s Investment Portfolio Takes a Hit (7:43 a.m. NY) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has Wall Street’s biggest investment portfolio, a boast that became a liability in the first quarter as fallout from the coronavirus weighed on the firm’s holdings. — Bloomberg.com, "Global Cases Top 2 Million; Mask Order in New York: Virus Update," 3 May 2020 Some fans viewed aligning with Ross’s brand — brimming with drug-dealer boasts, opulence and thunderous production — as incongruous with the idiosyncratic style that made Wale a favorite of the late-2000s hip-hop blogosphere. — Julian Kimble, Washington Post, "A decade after his debut, Wale is finally feeling comfortable with himself. Mostly.," 15 Nov. 2019 Ben Eisen The discussion of Berkshire's float is followed by a boast, largely recycled from past letters, that the insurance results at Berkshire outpace the broader industry. — WSJ, "Warren Buffett’s Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders," 25 Feb. 2017 The Medical Association of Nigerians across Great Britain boast of 18,000 members: the late Dr Sa’adu was indeed one of their proud distinguished members. — Olu Alake, Quartz Africa, "The significance of three African NHS doctors being among first to die in UK’s coronavirus battle," 4 Apr. 2020 The remainder of his speech was a bumper-car pileup of grievances, digressions, false boasts and casual calumny. — Dan Zak, Washington Post, "‘THIS IS AN ASSAULT’: History collides with Trump," 19 Dec. 2019 Aldridge said Monday, making both an admission and a boast. — Mike Finger, ExpressNews.com, "‘Same old’ LaMarcus Aldridge might be all Spurs need," 30 Sep. 2019 However, both school boast big alumni bases in metro Detroit. — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, "Central Michigan vs. Western Michigan football to Ford Field addresses enrollment decline," 26 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Unfortunately, what feels like immersion at La Cartoucherie, which boasts a large communal dining area, takes a lot more patience onscreen. — Laura Cappelle, New York Times, "Ariane Mnouchkine: Half a Century Building Utopia," 14 May 2020 The situation is also dire in Europe, which boasts half the world's international tourist arrivals. — Hanna Ziady, CNN, "2020 is a catastrophe for tourism businesses. Here's what the industry needs to get back on its feet," 13 May 2020 The former Fear Factor host interviews a diverse range of political, cultural, and sporting icons on his podcast, which boasts tens of millions of downloads per month. — Spencer Neale, Washington Examiner, "Joe Rogan says armed Michigan lockdown protesters escalated situation 'way past where we're at'," 12 May 2020 Once the Coccios had proven the economics of far-North aquaculture, others have entered the field, including Planet Shrimp Company, located in Aylmer, Ontario, which boasts a 65,000-square-foot production facility and plans for aggressive expansion. — Lee H. Goldberg, Ars Technica, "Can gender-bending Israeli superprawns help feed the world?," 10 May 2020 If a bat virus similar to RaTG13 got into an animal already infected with a coronavirus which boasted an RBD better suited to infecting humans, a basically batty virus with a more human-attuned RBD might well arise. — The Economist, "The origin of covid-19 The pieces of the puzzle of covid-19’s origin are coming to light," 2 May 2020 This weekend is full of uneven new releases, including Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Hollywood, which boasts fine performances but has a muddled message. — Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Now See This' Newsletter: An ‘Upload’ to Download and a Trip to ‘Hollywood’," 1 May 2020 The camera was set up by the Jungfrau Railway company, which boasts the highest train station in Europe a few hundred feet below. — Mary Turner, Outside Online, "Travel the World with These Livestream Cameras," 26 Apr. 2020 In 2018 against Alabama, which consistently boasts one of the nation’s best secondaries, Lamb posted eight catches for 109 yards and a score. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Film room: Here’s what CeeDee Lamb, an alpha receiver, brings to the Dallas Cowboys’ offense," 24 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boast.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.