chest-thumping

noun

chest-thump·​ing ˈches(t)-ˌthəm-piŋ 

: conduct or expression marked by pompous or arrogant self-assertion

political chest-thumping

Examples of chest-thumping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the sun began to lower, the men gathered in a circle, the tempo of their chest-thumping accelerating with the intensity of their chants. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

The defensive spark plug somehow jumped higher than any Nuggets forward did for a rebound in Minneapolis last Thursday night, chest-thumping the glass at the top of his leap. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026

The Sabres took the chest-thumping contest, out-hitting the B’s 53-38. — Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026

But his uppercase blasts, chest-thumping rants and coarse insults are more likely now to draw a Gallic shrug. — Serge Schmemann, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

His remarks about Iran moved beyond personal attacks or chest-thumping nationalism to take on a tone of collective punishment and civilizational destruction. — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026

That didn’t stop Uthmeier from chest-thumping across social-media platforms. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026

Plenty of glee, no chest-thumping. — Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 Feb. 2026

And then there is the chest-thumping. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chest-thumping

• antidumping
• bumping
• clumping
• dumping
• humping
• jumping
• lumping
• pumping
• slumping
• stumping
• thumping