vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯn-təd 

ˈvän-

: highly or widely praised or boasted about

his own much vaunted ferocity

—Calvin Tomkins

Did you know?

Vaunted Has Latin Roots

The verb vaunt has been used since the 15th century with the meaning "to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments"—in other words, "to brag or boast." Over time, vaunt developed the meaning "to boast of (something)," as in "the promotional flier vaunts the natural beauty of the area," and gave rise to the adjectival form vaunted. The history of vaunt and vaunted leads back to the Latin word vānus, meaning "vain" or "empty." The word vain itself is also a descendant of vānus.

Examples of vaunted in a Sentence

The team's vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.

Recent Examples on the Web

Harding went on to vaunted posts atop the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. —Benjamin Malapris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Madigan, a Southwest Side Democrat, and McClain, 77, of downstate Quincy, are charged in a 23-count indictment alleging that Madigan’s vaunted state and political operations were run like a criminal enterprise to amass and increase his power and enrich himself and his associates. —Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025

The most vaunted had malevolent aims: the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), a sprawling military R&D enterprise thought to employ as many as 20,000 people. —Byrichard Stone, science.org, 23 Dec. 2024

The night's most vaunted honor, Entertainer of the Year, went to Morgan Wallen. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of vaunt entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯnt-əd 

ˈvänt-

: much praised or boasted about

the team's vaunted offense