boasting

IPA/bəʊst/
KK[bˈostɪŋ]IPA/boʊst/

boasting — verb

  • boastingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • boastings3rd person singular
  • boastinging-ing form
  • boastingedpast simple

1. to talk with too much pride about your own achievements, possessions, or abiliti

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to talk with too much pride about your own achievements, possessions, or abilities — often in a way that makes other people feel annoyed or bored

Example

After winning the school chess tournament, Wei could not stop boasting about his victory to anyone who would listen.

boast + about + noun phrase for topic of pride

Lin never boasts about her test scores, even though she always finishes at the top of the class.

Common collocations
  • boast about
  • boast of
  • constantly boast
  • proudly boast
  • boast openly
Synonyms
  • brag

    more informal and direct than boast, often suggests exaggeration

  • crow

    informal, suggests gloating over a success

  • show off

    phrasal verb, focuses on drawing attention rather than talking about achievements

Antonyms
  • downplay

    to make something seem less important than it is

  • conceal

    to keep your achievements hidden from others

Grammar Patterns

boast + about + noun/gerund

boast + of + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Common with the preposition about (boast about something) or of (boast of something, slightly more formal). Frequently used in negative contexts or with adverbs like always/constantly to indicate a habit that annoys others.

Common Mistakes

He boasted that he can run faster than anyone.
He boasted that he could run faster than anyone.
When reporting boasting in the past, the verb after that-clause usually backshifts to past tense.
She boasted to have climbed Everest.
She boasted about climbing Everest.' or 'She boasted that she had climbed Everest.
Boast takes about + gerund or a that-clause, not a to-infinitive.

2. to have or contain an impressive feature, quality, or thing that people can be p

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to have or contain an impressive feature, quality, or thing that people can be proud of — used for places, buildings, organizations, or products rather than people

Example

The Grand Sultan Hotel boasts a rooftop infinity pool with stunning views of the old city.

place + boast + impressive feature

This small coastal town boasts three national parks within an hour's drive.

Common collocations
  • boast a collection
  • boast a view
  • boast facilities
  • boast features
Synonyms
  • feature

    neutral, common in advertising; lacks the pride element of boast

  • possess

    formal and neutral; states ownership without pride

  • offer

    more customer-oriented; common for services and amenities

Antonyms
  • lack

    to be without a feature

  • miss

    to not have something that would be expected

Grammar Patterns

place/organization + boast + noun phrase (impressive feature)

Usage Note

This sense is neutral to positive, unlike sense 1 which carries a negative tone. The subject is always a place, organization, or product — never a person. The object is a desirable feature or asset.

Common Mistakes

My uncle boasts a big car.
My uncle boasts about his big car.
Using sense 2 for a person is incorrect; for people, use sense 1 with about.
The hotel boasts of a swimming pool.
The hotel boasts a swimming pool.
Sense 2 takes a direct object without a preposition.

boasting — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Boast is the most general term for talking proudly about yourself, and it can range from neutral to negative. Brag is more informal and direct — it almost always carries a negative sense of exaggeration or self-importance: you might boast quietly about a child's achievement, but bragging sounds louder and more obnoxious. Crow adds a gloating element, often about someone else's failure. Show off focuses more on behavior than speech: someone who shows off might show you their expensive watch rather than talk about it. In everyday conversation, brag is the strongest negative, boast is more neutral, and crow is the most specific (gloating over a victory).

boast ↗brag ↗crow ↗show off ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • nothing to boast about
  • something to boast about

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Boast comes from Middle English bosten, which may have roots in Old English. The word originally meant 'to threaten, intimidate' before shifting to the milder sense of 'speak proudly' by the 1300s. The second sense (a feature to be proud of) developed later, in the 1600s.