boast
To talk too proudly about yourself or what you own.
boast in a sentence
- Jake loved to boast about his new bike, telling anyone who would listen how fast it was.
- The rooster seemed to boast about his mighty crow, strutting proudly around the farmyard.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to boast?
- Adownplay
- Bbrag
- Cunderstate
Show the answer
B: brag. The other three mean the opposite of boast.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to boast?
- Abrag
- Bcrow
- Cdownplay
Show the answer
C: downplay. The other three mean nearly the same as boast.
Words that mean something similar
brag, crow
Words that mean the opposite
downplay, understate
Careful: boast is not swagger
You boast with your words. You swagger with your walk. Read why children mix them up.
More words about speech & sound
- cacophony: A horrible mix of loud noises all at once.
- chide: To tell someone off gently.
- chortle: To laugh in a happy, gleeful way.
- clamour: A loud noise made by lots of people shouting at once.
- clatter: A loud rattling noise of hard things banging together.
- coax: To gently persuade someone to do something.
- commotion: A sudden burst of noisy confusion.
- concise: Saying what you need to say in only a few words.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test