vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯn-təd 

ˈvän-

: highly or widely praised or boasted about

his own much vaunted ferocity

—Calvin Tomkins

Did you know?

Vaunted Has Latin Roots

The verb vaunt has been used since the 15th century with the meaning "to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments"—in other words, "to brag or boast." Over time, vaunt developed the meaning "to boast of (something)," as in "the promotional flier vaunts the natural beauty of the area," and gave rise to the adjectival form vaunted. The history of vaunt and vaunted leads back to the Latin word vānus, meaning "vain" or "empty." The word vain itself is also a descendant of vānus.

Examples of vaunted in a Sentence

The team's vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.

Recent Examples on the Web

All of this to say: Things are looking up for OpenAI this week, with another vaunted Big Tech endorsement on the books and an evaporated Musk lawsuit. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024

The Panthers’ penalty kill remained perfect in this Final, 4 for 4 against the Oilers’ vaunted power play in Game 2 and now 6 for 6 this series. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 11 June 2024

Its 50-foot neon sign has become a vaunted symbol of historic Route 66; its angular standalone lobby a marvel of Googie architecture. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024

My experience graduating from Harvard has left me cold and shown how little the vaunted school cares for Jewish students, who would be better off elsewhere. —Angelique Talmor, National Review, 5 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of vaunt entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯnt-əd 

ˈvänt-

: much praised or boasted about

the team's vaunted offense