boast
pronunciation
How to pronounce boast in British English:
UK [bəʊst]
How to pronounce boast in American English:
US [boʊst]
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- Noun:
- speaking of yourself in superlatives
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- Verb:
- show off
- wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner
Word Origin
- boast
- boast: [13] The immediate source of boast appears to be Anglo-Norman bost, but where it came from before that is far from clear; German dialect bauste(r)n ‘swell’ has been compared, suggesting that it could be of Germanic origin. To begin with it meant ‘loud or threatening talk’ as well as ‘bragging’.
- boast (n.)
- mid-13c., "arrogance, presumption, pride, vanity;" c. 1300, "a brag, boastful speech," from Anglo-French bost "ostentation," probably via Scandinavian (compare Norwegian baus "proud, bold, daring"), from Proto-Germanic *bausia "to blow up, puff up, swell" (cognates: Middle High German bus "swelling," dialectal German baustern "to swell;" Middle Dutch bose, Dutch boos "evil, wicked, angry," Old High German bosi "worthless, slanderous," German böse "evil, bad, angry"), from PIE *bhou-, variant of root *beu-, *bheu- "to grow, swell" (see bull (n.2)). The notion apparently is of being "puffed up" with pride; compare Old English belgan "to become angry, offend, provoke," belg "anger, arrogance," from the same root as bellows and belly (n.). Related: Boasted; boasting. An Old English word for "boasting" was micelsprecende, "big talk."
- boast (v.)
- early 14c., "to brag, speak arrogantly;" from the same source as boast (n.). Related: Boasted; boasting.
Antonym
Example
- 1. Secular-minded beirutis like to boast of lebanon 's wineries .
- 2. An even more tiresome category of businessman uses twitter to boast .
- 3. Locals boast that they pay their taxes by sms .
- 4. How many central banks can boast of the same ( profitable ) record ?
- 5. Thirty years ago in the uk children were still taught that it was rude to boast .