brag 1 of 3

brag

2 of 3

noun

brag

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word brag distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of brag are boast, crow, and vaunt. While all these words mean "to express pride in oneself or one's accomplishments," brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself.

bragging of their exploits

When is boast a more appropriate choice than brag?

Although the words boast and brag have much in common, boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration, but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride.

boasts of every trivial success
the town boasts one of the best museums in the area

When would crow be a good substitute for brag?

In some situations, the words crow and brag are roughly equivalent. However, crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging.

crowed after winning the championship

How is vaunt related to other words for brag?

Vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag.

vaunted his country's military might

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of brag
Adjective
This will also give you a brag bank to pull from when the interviewer asks you to articulate your strengths. Dominique Law, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021 The Wild Insulated Water Bottle Allow us to humble-brag about The Wild water bottle with the cool logo of the L.A. Times newsletter about the outdoors in Southern California. Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2021
Noun
The brag quickly caught the attention of Swift fans across social media, who rushed to attack Spector while defending Swift. Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024 The retelling is less of a brag and more of Morris simply being excited about the experience. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2024
Verb
Until recently, the U.S. president repeatedly bragged about the $500 billion that Apple in February pledged to invest domestically as part of its development of artificial intelligence technologies. Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025 Top dining in Islamorada Islamorada has bragging rights to some of the best dining in the Florida Keys. Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for brag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brag
Adjective
  • My daughter came to live with us for nine wonderful years.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 27 May 2025
  • Your wonderful dog may or may not hanker to break routine and go on holiday.
    John Oseid, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • In her public rhetoric, mostly on social media and right-wing media appearances, Lake has veered between promising to restore the networks to their historic mission and pledging to demolish them.
    David Folkenflik, NPR, 22 May 2025
  • While some may view these new statements as a step toward accountability, others remain skeptical, citing the depth and repeated nature of his past rhetoric.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • The follow-up to 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation boasts contributions from a slew of notable musicians, including Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, and the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
  • An additional guesthouse, a helipad, a floating dock, and acres of surrounding land round out the impressive compound, which boasts 2,000 feet of Oyster Bay Harbor water frontage.
    Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • He’s been awesome and the rest of the guys have been awesome.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
  • There was an awesome sequence where Finn Balor missed the Coup de Grace, followed by a stomp on Balor by Rollins and a Helluva Kick on Rollins by Zayn.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • The news was an opportunity for Gov. Gavin Newsom to exercise his penchant for braggadocio.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 May 2025
  • Latto popped up first on the track, bringing some braggadocios bars before G Herbo jumped in with his rambunctious energy.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • When a person lacks humility, the deficiency will show up as being a braggart and disrespectful.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • He’s swept away in a sea of raves MILAN — Giorgio Armani is not a very good braggart.
    Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • The Seven of Pentacles is a gentle reminder that great things take time.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025
  • The story now circulating with ever greater popularity is that Jackson was an innocent bystander in the 1919 World Series fix.
    Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • On December 7, after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford, Newcastle were 12th in the table and, externally, there was chatter about Eddie Howe’s position.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • Suddenly, though, there is a confluence of intriguing points: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that, if the chatter is to be believed, will see resistance in the Senate but that resistance will be about some combination of spending cuts and tax increases.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Brag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brag. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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