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brag

B2
verbnounadjective

Pronunciation

UK

  • /brˈæɡ/

US

  • /ˈbræɡ/

Description

If your little brother keeps telling everyone how he scored the winning goal, even if it was a lucky shot, he is probably bragging. To boast is to talk too proudly about yourself or your possessions, often in a way that feels annoying. It is trying to impress people by exaggerating your accomplishments. While some confidence is good, constant boasting can quickly rub people the wrong way. You might tell people about a new car, a high test score, or even how many cookies you ate.

Examples

  1. 1

    Personal possessions

    He kept bragging about his new car during lunch.

  2. 2

    Ability claim

    She bragged that she could finish the project in one weekend.

  3. 3

    Modesty

    Jake never brags about his grades, even though he is usually top of the class.

  4. 4

    Competition

    The team won the final on Saturday and earned bragging rights for the rest of the year.

    • Phrase

      bragging rights

      the right to feel proud and talk about winning

  5. 5

    Self-praise

    I'm not bragging, but my soup is better than the one at the restaurant.

    • Phrase

      I'm not bragging, but ...

      a common way to introduce praise for yourself

  6. 6

    Annoying behavior

    After a while, all that bragging started to annoy everyone.

    • Phrase

      all that bragging

      all that proud talk about yourself

  7. 7

    Mild criticism

    It's nothing to brag about, but at least we finished on time.

    • Phrase

      nothing to brag about

      not very impressive

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • bragnounverbadjective

Forms

  • bragging-ing formverbnounadjective
  • braggedpast tenseverbnounadjective
  • bragsverbnounadjective