boast
1 (bōst)
[Middle English bosten, from bost, a brag.]
verb: boast·ed, boast·ing, boasts.
intransitive verb
- To glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way.
transitive verb
- To speak of with excessive pride.
- To possess or own (a desirable feature): “ capital of a region in the southeast that boasts bountiful coal fields” (US Air)
- To contain; have.
noun
- The act or an instance of bragging.
- A source of pride.
derivatives
- boast́er
- noun
- boast́ful
- adjective
- boast́ful·ly
- adverb
- boast́ful·ness
- noun
usage note
Usage Note: Some have objected to the use of boast as a transitive verb meaning “to possess or own (a desirable feature),” as in This network boasts an audience with a greater concentration of professionals and managers than any other broadcast vehicle. This usage is by now well established, however, and is acceptable to 62 percent of the Usage Panel.
synonyms:
boast1brag, crow2vaunt These verbs all mean to speak with pride, often excessive pride, about oneself or something related to oneself. Boast is the most general: “We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it” (Thomas Jefferson) Brag implies exaggerated claims and often an air of insolent superiority: He bragged about his grades. Crow stresses exultation and often loud rejoicing: No candidate should crow until the votes have been counted. Vaunt suggests ostentatiousness and lofty extravagance of expression: “He did not vaunt of his new dignity, but I understood he was highly pleased with it” (James Boswell)
