flaunt

verb

\ ˈflȯnt ,

ˈflänt \

flaunted; flaunting; flaunts

Definition of flaunt

intransitive verb

1 : to display or obtrude oneself to public notice a great flaunting crowd —Charles Dickens

2 : to wave or flutter showily the flag flaunts in the breeze

transitive verb

1 : to display ostentatiously or impudently : parade flaunting his superiority a chance to flaunt clothes, bodies, and sexuality —New Yorker

2 : to treat contemptuously flaunted the rules —Louis Untermeyer

Other Words from flaunt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym flaunt vs. flout More Example Sentences Learn More about flaunt

Keep scrolling for more

Other words from flaunt

flaunt noun

flauntingly \ˈflȯn-tiŋ-lē,

ˈflän- \ adverb

flaunty \ˈflȯn--tē,

ˈflän- \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for flaunt

show, exhibit, display, expose, parade, flaunt mean to present so as to invite notice or attention. show implies no more than enabling another to see or examine. showed her snapshots to the whole group exhibit stresses putting forward prominently or openly. exhibit paintings at a gallery display emphasizes putting in a position where others may see to advantage. display sale items expose suggests bringing forth from concealment and displaying. sought to expose the hypocrisy of the town fathers parade implies an ostentatious or arrogant displaying. parading their piety for all to see flaunt suggests a shameless, boastful, often offensive parading. nouveaux riches flaunting their wealth

flaunt vs. flout: Usage Guide

Although the "treat contemptuously" sense of flaunt undoubtedly arose from confusion with flout, the contexts in which it appears cannot be called substandard. meting out punishment to the occasional mavericks who operate rigged games, tolerate rowdyism, or otherwise flaunt the law —Oscar Lewis observed with horror the flaunting of their authority in the suburbs, where men … put up buildings that had no place at all in a Christian commonwealth —Marchette Chute in our profession … very rarely do we publicly chastise a colleague who has flaunted our most basic principles —R. T. Blackburn, AAUP Bull. If you use it, however, you should be aware that many people will consider it a mistake. Use of flout in the sense of "flaunt, parade" is found occasionally. "The proper pronunciation," the blonde said, flouting her refined upbringing, "is pree feeks" —Mike Royko

Examples of flaunt in a Sentence

She liked to flaunt her wealth by wearing furs and jewelry. They openly flaunted the rules.

Recent Examples on the Web

Neymar flaunted his flair and his theatrics with a goal and an assist Monday at the World Cup. — Rob Harris, chicagotribune.com, "Neymar leads Brazil into World Cup quarterfinals with 2-0 win over Mexico," 2 July 2018 Serena Williams flaunted her post-pregnancy physique during her first-round matchup at the French Open on Tuesday, wearing a black Nike catsuit on the clay court. — Nihal Kolur, SI.com, "Serena Williams Wears Catsuit to Honor Mothers Who Had Tough Pregnancies," 29 May 2018 The Fixer Upper star and Magnolia Market founder just flaunted her growing baby bump in a colorful maxi dress on the latest summer issue of the Magnolia Journal, which was delivered to subscribers this week. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Joanna Gaines Shows Off Her Growing Baby Bump on New Magazine Cover," 2 May 2018 Each one flaunts up to eight different plumages during its first four years. — Neal Templin, WSJ, "What’s a Tough Call in Bird Watching? Identifying a Gull," 1 Apr. 2018 Bey took to Instagram to flaunt her off-duty style in a flowy orange floral dress and Ritch Erani PVC heels. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Just Shared The Coolest Photos From Her Family Vacay," 3 July 2018 Zero + Maria Cornejo showed the stylish girl’s way to flaunt head-to-toe red, white and blue without looking like Uncle Sam. — Kristin Larson, chicagotribune.com, "Fourth of July attire: Chic red, white and blue looks," 26 June 2018 Of course, the Kremlin wants to flaunt Kaliningrad as a Russian military foothold in the West by calling attention to its grandiose stadium during the World Cup. — Ross Kenneth Urken, The New Republic, "Playing Geopolitics With the World Cup," 5 June 2018 There was a paper on lactose tolerance in Europeans and that turned into this weird viral YouTube trend where white nationalists were chugging bottles of milk, presumably to flaunt their European heritage. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "‘It’s a toxic place.’ How the online world of white nationalists distorts population genetics," 22 May 2018

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