boast
gb/bˈoʊst/ us/bˈoʊst/
B1
English
~ 6100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
talk with too much pride
To talk too proudly about what you have or what you have done.
Usage pattern:
to boast about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'boast' is always positive. In everyday English it is usually slightly negative or critical, unlike 'be proud of', which is often positive. They may also forget the preposition and say *'boast my success'* instead of 'boast about my success'.
Synonyms
brag (Very close in meaning, often slightly more negative or childish in tone.)
|
show off (Informal phrase; focuses more on trying to get attention, not only on talking.)
Antonyms
downplay (Means to make something seem less important or impressive, the opposite of talking it up.)
|
understate (Means to describe something as less than it really is, rather than proudly exaggerating it.)
Collocations
boast about
|boast of
|boast that
|constantly boast
|openly boast
Themes
communication
|personality
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He loves to boast about how much money he makes.
- She boasted that she had never failed an exam.
- Stop boasting about your new car; everyone has seen it already.
- They spent the whole evening boasting of their travel adventures.
Learner examples
- He always boasts about his new phone.
- She boasted that she was the best student in the class.
- My uncle likes to boast of his big house.
- Try not to boast about your success at the party.
Verb
B2
state
2
have something impressive proudly
(For a place or thing) to have something very good or special.
Usage pattern:
to boast [something impressive]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning of 'boast' still involves speaking. In this sense, the subject is usually a place or organization, and it simply means 'has something impressive', often in written descriptions: 'The town boasts a castle', not *'The town boasts about a castle'.
Synonyms
feature (Neutral and common in descriptions; lacks the idea of pride but often used similarly in writing.)
|
possess (More formal and neutral; simply means to have, without suggesting that the thing is impressive.)
Antonyms
lack (Means not to have something that is needed or desired, the opposite of proudly having it.)
Collocations
boast a population of
|boast an impressive
|boast a wide range of
|the city boasts
|the hotel boasts
Themes
travel
|business
|description
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The city boasts a population of over two million.
- Our hotel boasts three swimming pools and a private beach.
- The university boasts an impressive list of famous graduates.
- This region boasts some of the finest vineyards in the country.
Learner examples
- The city boasts many good restaurants.
- Our school boasts a large new library.
- This park boasts a big lake and many trees.
- The museum boasts a famous art collection.
Noun
B2
entity
3
proud or bragging statement
Words that show too much pride about what you have or did.
Usage pattern:
a boast about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun 'a boast' with the verb and say *'he did a boast'* instead of 'he made a boast' or simply 'he boasted'. They may also use it for any proud feeling, when it actually refers to the spoken or written statement of pride.
Synonyms
brag (Very close in meaning but slightly more informal; can sound more childish.)
|
claim (More neutral; suggests saying something is true, without necessarily implying pride, but can overlap when someone is boasting.)
Antonyms
admission (An honest statement that something is not good, which contrasts with a proud or showy statement.)
|
humility (Refers to a modest attitude, the opposite of making proud boasts.)
Collocations
empty boast
|idle boast
|big boast
|despite his boasts
|make a boast
Themes
communication
|personality
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His constant boasts about his salary annoyed everyone in the office.
- It sounded like an empty boast, but later we found out it was true.
- Despite his boasts, he failed the test on the first try.
- Her main boast is that she finished the marathon in under four hours.
Learner examples
- His boasts about his car make people bored.
- That was not just a boast; it was true.
- I am tired of his boasts about his job.
- Her big boast is that she can speak four languages.
Noun
C1
entity
4
thing that is a source of pride
A thing that makes a person, place, or group feel very proud.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s main boast is [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the noun meaning 'a proud statement' and think 'boast' here is always speech. In this sense, 'boast' is the thing itself that gives pride, not the words used to talk about it.
Synonyms
pride (Very similar but broader; can refer to the feeling itself as well as the thing that causes it.)
|
glory (More literary and emotional; suggests something very impressive that brings honor.)
Antonyms
embarrassment (Something that makes you feel ashamed, the opposite of something you proudly show.)
Collocations
main boast
|greatest boast
|only boast
|chief boast
|local boast
Themes
description
|evaluation
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The school’s main boast is its award-winning music program.
- One of the town’s greatest boasts is its beautiful old bridge.
- Her garden is her chief boast and joy.
- The company’s only real boast is its excellent customer service.
Learner examples
- The team’s biggest boast is its strong defense.
- His main boast is his beautiful garden.
- The city’s great boast is its old castle.
- This restaurant’s boast is its fresh fish.
Grammar
Dictionary form
boast
IPA
GB/bˈoʊst/
US/bˈoʊst/
Syllables & stress
boast (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (boast)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: boast
- Plural: boasts
Verb
- Base: boast
- 3rd Person Singular: boasts
- Present Participle: boasting
- Past: boasted
Word family
Forms
boasts
noun
boasting
verb
boasted
verb
Core family
boastful
adjective
Related words
boaster
noun
boastfully
adverb
Advanced or less common
boastfulness
noun
Expressions
boast about
1/bˈoʊst əbˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
talk proudly about something
To talk too proudly about something you have or did.
Examples
- He’s always boasting about his new car.
- She boasted about winning first prize in the competition.
- They like to boast about how quickly their business is growing.
boast of
1/bˈoʊst əv/
phrasal verb
formal
speak proudly of something
To speak proudly of something you have, did, or are connected with.
Examples
- The company boasted of its long history of innovation.
- He often boasts of his time studying abroad.
- Local people proudly boast of their traditional food.
if I may boast
1/ˈɪf ˈaɪ mˈeɪ bˈoʊst/
fixed phrase
polite lead-in to a boast
A polite phrase you say before mentioning something you are proud of about yourself or your group.
Examples
- If I may boast, our team has never lost a home game.
- If I may boast, this is the best coffee you’ll find in town.
- Our city, if I may boast, has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
not to boast
1/nˈɑt tə bˈoʊst/
fixed phrase
informal
softening phrase before a boast
A phrase used before you say something good about yourself, to sound more modest, even though you are still boasting a little.
Examples
- Not to boast, but I did get the highest score in the class.
- Not to boast, but my cookies are always the first to disappear at parties.
- Not to boast, but I finished the project two days early.