boast








verb (used without object)

  1. to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especially about oneself.
  2. to speak with pride (often followed by of): He boasted of his family’s wealth.

verb (used with object)

  1. to speak of with excessive pride or vanity: He boasts himself a genius.
  2. to be proud in the possession of: The town boasts a new school.

noun

  1. a thing boasted of; a cause for pride: Talent is his boast. It is her boast that she has never betrayed a friend.
  2. exaggerated or objectionable speech; bragging: empty boasts and threats.

verb (used with object) Masonry.

  1. to dress or shape (stone) roughly.

verb

  1. (intr; sometimes foll by of or about) to speak in exaggerated or excessively proud terms of one’s possessions, skills, or superior qualities; brag
  2. (tr) to possess (something to be proud of)the city boasts a fine cathedral

noun

  1. a bragging statement
  2. a possession, attribute, attainment, etc, that is or may be bragged about

verb

  1. (tr) to shape or dress (stone) roughly with a broad chisel

noun

  1. a stroke in which the ball is hit on to one of the side walls before hitting the front wall

verb

  1. to hit (the ball) in this way or make such a stroke
n.

mid-13c., “arrogance, presumption, pride, vanity;” c.1300, “a brag, boastful speech,” from Anglo-French bost “ostentation,” probably via Scandinavian (cf. Norwegian baus “proud, bold, daring”), from Proto-Germanic *bausia “to blow up, puff up, swell” (cf. 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; cf. 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.”

v.

early 14c., “to brag, speak arrogantly;” from the same source as boast (n.). Related: Boasted; boasting.

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