Boast

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Boast, v. i. [OE. bosten, boosten, v., bost, boost, n., noise, boasting; cf. G. bausen, bauschen, to swell, pusten, Dan. puste, Sw. pusta, to blow, Sw. pösa to swell; or W. bostio to boast, bost boast, Gael. bosd. But these last may be from English.].

•  To vaunt one's self; to brag; to say or tell things which are intended to give others a high opinion of one's self or of things belonging to one's self; as, to boast of one's exploits courage, descent, wealth.  [1913 Webster]

  "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: . . not of works, lest any man should boast."  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak in exulting language of another; to glory; to exult.  [1913 Webster]

  "In God we boast all the day long."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To brag; bluster; vapor; crow; talk big.

Boast, v. t. 

•  To display in ostentatious language; to speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self-commendation; to extol.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lest bad men should boast
  Their specious deeds."  [1913 Webster]
•  To display vaingloriously.  [1913 Webster]
•  To possess or have; as, to boast a name.  [1913 Webster]

  "Boast not thyself of to-morrow."  [1913 Webster]

To boast one's self, to speak with unbecoming confidence in, and approval of, one's self; -- followed by of and the thing to which the boasting relates. [Archaic]

Boast, v. t. [Of uncertain etymology.].

•  To dress, as a stone, with a broad chisel.  Weale.  [1913 Webster]
•  To shape roughly as a preparation for the finer work to follow; to cut to the general form required.  [1913 Webster]

Boast, n. 

•  Act of boasting; vaunting or bragging.  [1913 Webster]

  "Reason and morals? and where live they most,
  In Christian comfort, or in Stoic boast!"  [1913 Webster]
•  The cause of boasting; occasion of pride or exultation, -- sometimes of laudable pride or exultation.  [1913 Webster]

  "The boast of historians."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Boast, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. declare one's achievements, possessions, or abilities with indulgent pride and satisfaction.
2 tr. own or have as something praiseworthy etc. (the hotel boasts magnificent views).
--n.
1 an act of boasting.
2 something one is proud of.

Derivative

boaster n. boastingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. AF bost, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

Boast

aggrandize, be enfeoffed of, be possessed of, be seized of, blow, bluster, boastfulness, boasting, bombast, bounce, brag, braggadocio, braggartism, bragging, bravado, bully, catch, claim, cock-a-doodle-doo, command, conceit, crow, diamond, draw the longbow, ego-trip, enjoy, exalt, fanfaronade, fill, find, fish for compliments, flaunt, flourish, gasconade, gasconism, gem, glory, godsend, good thing, gush, have, have and hold, have in hand, have no self-doubt, have tenure of, heroics, hold, jactation, jactitation, jewel, know it all, mouth, occupy, parade, pearl, pique, plum, plume, possess, prate, preen, pride, pride and joy, prize, puff, quack, rodomontade, ruffle, show off, side, speak for Buncombe, squat, squat on, swagger, swash, swashbuckle, talk big, treasure, triumph, trophy, trouvaille, usucapt, vanity, vapor, vaunt, vauntery, vaunting, windfall, winner

ROGET THESAURUS

Boast

Affectation

VB affect, act a part, put on, give oneself airs, boast, coquet, simper, mince, attitudinize, pose, flirt a fan, overact, overdo.

Pride

VB be proud, put a good face on, look one in the face, stalk abroad, perk oneself up, think no small beer of oneself, presume, swagger, strut, rear one's head, lift up one's head, hold up one's head, hold one's head high, look big, take the wall, bear like the Turk no rival near the throne, carry with a high hand, ride the high horse, mount on one's high horse, set one's back up, bridle, toss the head, give oneself airs, boast, pride oneself on, glory in, take a pride in, pique oneself, plume oneself, hug oneself, stand upon, be proud of, put a good face on, not hide one's light under a bushel, not put one's talent in a napkin, not think small beer of oneself.

Vanity

VB be vain, be vain of, pique oneself, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, have too high an opinion of oneself, have an overweening opinion of oneself, have too high an opinion of one's talents, blind oneself as to one's own merit, not think small beer of oneself, not think vin ordinaire of oneself, put oneself forward, fish for compliments, give oneself airs, boast, render vain, inspire with vanity, inflate, puff up, turn up, turn one's head.

Boasting

N boasting, boast, vaunt, crake, pretense, pretensions, puff, puffery, flourish, fanfaronade, gasconade, blague, bluff, gas, highfalutin, highfaluting, hot air, spread-eagleism, brag, braggardism, bravado, bunkum, buncombe, jactitation, jactancy, bounce, venditation, vaporing, rodomontade, bombast, fine talking, tall talk, magniloquence, teratology, heroics, Chauvinism, exaggeration, vanity, vox et praeterea nihil, much cry and little wool, brutum fulmen, exultation, gloriation, glorification, flourish of trumpets, triumph, boaster, braggart, braggadocio, Gascon, fanfaron, pretender, soi-disant, blower, bluffer, Foxy Quiller, blusterer, charlatan, jack-pudding, trumpeter, puppy, boasting, magniloquent, flaming, Thrasonic, stilted, gasconading, braggart, boastful, pretentious, soi-disant, vainglorious, highfalutin, highfaluting, spread- eagle, elate, elated, jubilant, triumphant, exultant, in high feather, flushed, flushed with victory, cock-a-hoop, on stilts, vaunted, vauntingly, let the galled jade wince, facta non verba.

VB boast, make a boast of, brag, vaunt, Puff, show off, flourish, crake, crack, trumpet, strut, swagger, vapor, blague, blow, four-flush, bluff, exult, crow, crow over, neigh, chuckle, triumph, throw up one's cap, talk big, se faire valoir, faire claquer son fouet, take merit to oneself, make a merit of, sing Io triumphe, holloa before one is out of the wood.