vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯn-təd How to pronounce vaunted (audio)
ˈvän-
: highly or widely praised or boasted about
his own much vaunted ferocityCalvin Tomkins

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Much has been made of Southlake Carroll’s vaunted offense, but the Dragons’ defense has been just as stellar. Updated September 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Sep. 2025 With Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell in the Dodgers' vaunted rotation, Kershaw knows his opportunity to pitch in the postseason might be limited. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025 In two of its three games so far, Abington has watched things come down to the final second against a vaunted squad from the Patriot League. Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 20 Sep. 2025 Famiglia de Cerchio Unlike the vaunted wines of Tuscany and Piedmont, and, increasingly, Sicily and Puglia, the wines of Abruzzo––the region of Italy east of Rome all the way to the Adriatic––has not enjoyed renown among the country’s better offerings. John Mariani, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vaunted

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of vaunt entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vaunted was in 1567

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Cite this Entry

“Vaunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaunted. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

vaunted

adjective
vaunt·​ed ˈvȯnt-əd How to pronounce vaunted (audio)
ˈvänt-
: much praised or boasted about
the team's vaunted offense

More from Merriam-Webster on vaunted

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