Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To talk or write about oneself in a proud or self-impressed way. synonym: boast.
  • intransitive verb To say (something about oneself) boastfully.
  • noun A boast.
  • noun Arrogant or boastful speech.
  • noun Games A card game similar to poker.
  • adjective Exceptionally fine.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Proud; boasting: as, “that bragge prescription,”
  • Also used adverbially.
  • To use boastful language; speak vaingloriously of one's self or belongings; boast; vaunt: used absolutely, or followed by of, formerly sometimes by on: as, to brag of a good horse, or of a feat of arms.
  • To sound, as a trumpet; blare; bray.
  • To boast of.
  • To blow (a trumpet).
  • noun A boast or boasting; a vaunt; also, boastfulness.
  • noun A thing to boast of; source of pride.
  • noun A game of cards: same as poker.
  • noun A bragger.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb obsolete Proudly; boastfully.
  • noun A boast or boasting; bragging; ostentatious pretense or self glorification.
  • noun The thing which is boasted of.
  • noun A game at cards similar to bluff.
  • intransitive verb To talk about one's self, or things pertaining to one's self, in a manner intended to excite admiration, envy, or wonder; to talk boastfully; to boast; -- often followed by of.
  • adjective Archaic Brisk; full of spirits; boasting; pretentious; conceited.
  • transitive verb obsolete To boast of.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To boast; to talk with excessive pride about what one has, can do, or has done.
  • noun A boast, a loud appraisal of oneself.
  • noun by ellipsis The card game three card brag.
  • adjective First-rate.
  • adverb obsolete proudly; boastfully

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective exceptionally good
  • noun an instance of boastful talk
  • verb show off

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English braggen, from brag, ostentatious.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Mid-14th c. Middle English braggen ("to make a loud noise; to speak boastfully") of unknown origin. Possibly related to the early-14th c. Middle English adjective brag ("prideful, spirited"), probably from Celtic; or Old Norse bragr ("best, foremost; poetry"); or through Old English from Old Norse braka ("to creak").

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Examples

  • Eileen gets into her uniform -- crisp yellow blouse, navy blue vest and matching military-style cap -- and brings out what she calls her "brag" board, a navy blue swath of fabric that's about 5 feet long and 3 feet wide.

    Nancy Ruhling: Astoria Characters: The Church Lady Nancy Ruhling 2011

  • Eileen gets into her uniform -- crisp yellow blouse, navy blue vest and matching military-style cap -- and brings out what she calls her "brag" board, a navy blue swath of fabric that's about 5 feet long and 3 feet wide.

    Nancy Ruhling: Astoria Characters: The Church Lady Nancy Ruhling 2011

  • Eileen gets into her uniform -- crisp yellow blouse, navy blue vest and matching military-style cap -- and brings out what she calls her "brag" board, a navy blue swath of fabric that's about 5 feet long and 3 feet wide.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Nancy Ruhling 2011

  • Plus, I wouldn't dare forget the mushroom haircut, which I have to brag is not that far from that of Anna Wintour (if the lady is so fashionable, why does she have my Y2K hairdo?).

    Laurenne Sala: Pants Gone Missing at a Hollywood Club Laurenne Sala 2010

  • Government ` s inflation brag is shortlived - Says ex-Finance Minister

    WN.com - Business News 2009

  • Meanwhile, the term "humble brag" is slowly seeping into the public consciousness.

    Re-Tweeting (Not-So) Humble Promoters Marshall Heyman 2011

  • The arrest came after the suspect, Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr. of Dadeville, Ala., allegedly called in to a Birmingham-based radio show using an alias to brag about putting killer herbicides in the soil at the spot in Auburn, Ala., known as Toomer's Corner.

    Alabama fan arrested on charges of poisoning hallowed Auburn trees 2011

  • Now if Kyle wants to enable her admittedly "disheveled" sister by testing her drinks, rushing her off to fix her makeup and violently coming to her defense — as she did during last night's disastrous game night at name-dropping, price-tag brag Dana's place — fine.

    Watercooler: Can Someone Please Help the Real Housewives' Kim? 2011

  • Cleburn's is called the brag division of Bragg's army.

    Diary of Samuel A. Agnew : September 27, 1863-June 30, 1864, 1957

  • He knew that it was in his aunt's nature to make a brag of that sort; but worse than the brag was the fact that this was the first occasion on which Christine had deigned to show her consciousness that such a marriage would be a source of pride to his relatives -- the only two he had in the world.

    A Changed Man; and other tales Thomas Hardy 1884

Comments

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  • Garb in reverse.

    November 3, 2007