vaunt

WOTD - 19 March 2008    

English

Etymology

Anglo-Norman vaunter, variant of Old French vanter, from Latin vānus (“vain, boastful”).

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /vɔːnt/, SAMPA: /vO:nt/
• Rhymes: -ɔːnt
• (US) IPA: /vɔnt/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA: /vɑnt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

vaunt (third-person singular simple present vaunts, present participle vaunting, simple past and past participle vaunted)

1. (intransitive) To speak boastfully.
   • 1829 — Washington Irving, Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, chapter XC

     "The number," said he, "is great, but what can be expected from mere citizen soldiers? They vaunt and menace in time of safety; none are so arrogant when the enemy is at a distance; but when the din of war thunders at the gates they hide themselves in terror."

Synonyms

• (speak boastfully): boast, brag

Derived terms

• vaunter

Translations

speak boastfully

French: vanter (fr)

Polish: szczycić się, chlubić się

Noun

vaunt (plural vaunts)

1. A boast; an instance of vaunting.
   • 1904 — G. K. Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, Book II, chapter III

     He has answered me back, vaunt for vaunt, rhetoric for rhetoric.

Translations

Instance of vaunting

French: vantardise (fr) f.

Anagrams

• Tuvan