gloating

Definition of gloatingnext
present participle of gloat
as in bragging
to show in an improper or selfish way that you are happy with your own success or another person's failure After such a tough campaign, they're gloating over their victory in the election. All right, you won. There's no need to gloat about it.

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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 gloating The gloating tones were not unlike those of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing the fate of Iranians under American bombardment. Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026 The gloating tones were not unlike those of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describing the fate of Iranians under American bombardment. Max Hastings, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026 Following a violent clash that Saturday, group members circulated videos of Lang being dragged into a mob and struck over the head, gloating over the images as evidence that their counterprotest had been effective. Christina Buttons, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026 No wonder Newsom gloating after the Texas court decision came down. Thomas D. Elias, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025 The same 60 Minutes that Trump bellowed against and sued over edits to a sit-down with Kamala Harris last year — a lawsuit that held up David Ellison‘s $8 billion purchase of Paramount until a $16 million payout was handed over to a gloating POTUS. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2025 There was inevitable goading of some players, gloating after two days when a historic lead had been opened up, and eventual victory. Kevin Coulson, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 The veteran broadcaster also gave a jab or eight to Trump, noting that the president’s gloating remarks about Kimmel’s suspension had generated enormous interest in the show. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025 That was followed by ABC's decision to indefinitely pull the show from air, with Trump gloating about it shortly after on Truth Social. Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloating
bragging
Verb
  • Kelsey Pomeroy once overheard her husband bragging about her to one of his engineering coworkers.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Unfortunately for boosters who enjoy bragging about their investments, only one team will win a national championship each year.
    Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gloating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloating. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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