brag 1 of 3

brag

2 of 3

noun

brag

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word brag distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of brag are boast, crow, and vaunt. While all these words mean "to express pride in oneself or one's accomplishments," brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself.

bragging of their exploits

When is boast a more appropriate choice than brag?

Although the words boast and brag have much in common, boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration, but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride.

boasts of every trivial success
the town boasts one of the best museums in the area

When would crow be a good substitute for brag?

In some situations, the words crow and brag are roughly equivalent. However, crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging.

crowed after winning the championship

How is vaunt related to other words for brag?

Vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag.

vaunted his country's military might

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brag
Adjective
This will also give you a brag bank to pull from when the interviewer asks you to articulate your strengths. Dominique Law, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021 The Wild Insulated Water Bottle Allow us to humble-brag about The Wild water bottle with the cool logo of the L.A. Times newsletter about the outdoors in Southern California. Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2021
Noun
Enter LinkedIn, the brag board of choice for the white-collar worker. Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2024 Freeze explained his decision with a tremendous humble brag. Kevin Scarbinsky | , al, 20 July 2023
Verb
Daniel Webster, his secretary of state, had bragged about whittling down the speech, or at least removing numerous references to ancient Roman statesmen. Michael Bartiromo, The Hill, 19 Jan. 2025 Having the time to ingest an unhealthy amount of media is hardly something to brag about—managing SpaceX is surely a bigger accomplishment then being really good at video games. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for brag 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brag
Adjective
  • The melty cheese and crispy bread are a wonderful combination.
    Nick Siano, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Away from the bottle-poppers of Mykonos, but hardly removed from the season’s social buzz, the white-washed, flat-roofed villas that wrap the cliffs of Santorini are wonderful places to while away a summer.
    Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Fourteen years after their initial passage, the record is clear: contrary to the rhetoric, New York’s sanctuary laws have proven to be potent crime fighting tools.
    Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The rhetoric echoed his previous justification for the pullout: that the agreement imposed unfair economic burdens on the U.S. while allowing other countries, like China, to continue polluting.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Jimmy Fallon will host the event, which boasts a lineup including Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Miley Cyrus, Backstreet Boys and Post Malone.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
  • The firm, which boasts a team of 30 designers, artists, and seamstresses, offers full-service interior design, working on projects of all types and styles, from sprawling Dallas mansions to rustic lake retreats.
    Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • At the heart of the vaccine argument is the awesome challenge of trying to prove a negative.
    Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
  • On the other hand, his knowledge of briefcase models was awesome and was such a great callback to the original format’s history.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Social media is Trump’s territory, and its norms—insults without consequence, braggadocio, and flame wars—line up neatly with his way of doing politics.
    Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025
  • The braggadocio, the charisma and the grit underneath it all is what the city remembered of Henderson, who died at 65, days shy of his birthday on Christmas.
    Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • He’s swept away in a sea of raves MILAN — Giorgio Armani is not a very good braggart.
    Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Researchers also studied real-life workplace braggarts and found their colleagues often perceived them negatively.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 28 May 2024
Adjective
  • Every great city prides its ability to rebound after ruin.
    Shawn Hubler, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Advertisement Rams Saquon Barkley continues to make history with one of the greatest seasons ever Jan. 19, 2025 After the Eagles’ first possession, which ended with a long touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the stadium video board featured a shot of Verse, who was loudly booed.
    Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Now, chatter should only pick up as the team figures out its long-term direction heading into what will be — as usual — an important offseason for a franchise that’s closing in on being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for a ninth straight season.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Now, weeks after some of the Hollywood trades reported Chris Evans would be making his Marvel return in that event film, the actor himself denies the chatter.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near brag

Cite this Entry

“Brag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brag. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

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