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Meaning & use

boast about

verb·Everydaydisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈbəʊst əˌbaʊt/
US/ˈboʊst əˌbaʊt/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. verbintransitivedisapproving

    To talk too proudly about something you have or have done.

    Grammar: No object; the thing you talk about comes after 'about': boast about your salary, not boast your salary.

    Patterns

    • boast about something
    • boast about doing something
    • boast about how …

    He keeps boasting about his new car, and it's getting boring.

    She boasted about how she had passed the exam without studying.

    Stop boasting about your holiday and listen to someone else for a change.

  2. verbintransitive

    To be proud of something and talk about it, sometimes in a way that is not disapproving.

    Grammar: Same pattern: boast about something. The disapproving feeling depends on the situation.

    Patterns

    • boast about something
    • boast about a success

    The team can rightly boast about its excellent record this season.

    Parents often boast about their children's achievements.

Word forms

third person singularboasts about
past tenseboasted about
past participleboasted about
-ing formboasting about

Common combinations

boast about your achievements
It is fine to boast about your achievements in a job interview.
boast about how much money you have
He likes to boast about how much money he has.
boast about a victory
The players boasted about their victory for weeks.
constantly boast about
She constantly boasts about her son's grades.

Synonyms and how they differ

brag about
Very similar, but 'brag' is more informal and always sounds negative.
show off
Focuses on doing something to attract attention, not just talking about it.
talk about
Neutral; it does not carry the proud, boastful feeling.

Opposites

be modest aboutplay down

Word family

boast verb
To talk with too much pride; the base verb.
boastful adjective
Often talking too proudly about yourself.
boastfully adverb
In a way that shows too much pride.
boast noun
A proud statement, often in 'make a boast of'.

Commonly confused: boast about or boost about?

boast about vs boost about

'Boost' means to increase or improve something, so 'boost about' is not correct. Use 'boast about' when talking proudly.

Practice

He's always ______ his expensive watch.

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