Word of the Day

: July 9, 2014

vaunted

adjective VAWN-tud

What It Means

: highly or widely praised or boasted about

vaunted in Context

We were able to overcome our opponents' vaunted defense and achieve an upset victory which will take us to the finals.

"The vaunted school for years has sent its best students to the nation's top conservatories." - Ericka Mellon, Houston Chronicle, June 8, 2014

Did You Know?

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 "vanus," meaning "vain" or "empty." (The word "vain" itself is also a descendant of "vanus.")