Brag

verb / noun
brags (3rd person singular), bragged (past simple/past participle), bragging (present participle)
Frequency
Medium-High
CEFR Level
B2
Register
Informal
Domain
Everyday
📄

Definition

1. To talk proudly about your achievements, possessions, or abilities in a way that annoys others.
2. To boast excessively.
3. (noun): a boastful statement.
4. Something to be proud of.
5. A card game similar to poker.
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Context Alive

She tried not to brag about her daughter’s acceptance to the prestigious university, but every conversation somehow circled back to the topic as she mentioned it casually for the fifth time that evening while pretending it was no big deal.
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Meanings

11 meanings
1 To Talk Proudly About Yourself in an Annoying Way — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is the core meaning everyone knows. When you brag, you’re telling people how great you are, what amazing things you’ve done, or what impressive stuff you own—and you’re doing it in a way that feels excessive or annoying. A little pride is fine; bragging is when you take it too far. Nobody likes someone who brags constantly, but we’ve all been guilty of it at least once.
💎 Vivid Example
He couldn’t stop bragging about his new promotion at the party, mentioning his salary increase so many times that guests started avoiding him and gathering in the kitchen just to escape another round of self-congratulation.
2 To Boast About Possessions or Wealth — VERY COMMON Common ▼
People often brag about material things—cars, houses, expensive vacations, designer clothes. Social media has made this kind of bragging an art form, with people posting photos of their luxurious lifestyles for everyone to see. When someone brags about their possessions, they’re usually trying to impress others or boost their own status.
💎 Vivid Example
Her Instagram feed was basically just one long brag about her wealthy lifestyle, featuring photos of first-class flights, five-star hotels, and shopping bags from stores most of her followers couldn’t even afford to walk into.
3 A Boastful Statement (Noun) — COMMON Common ▼
As a noun, a brag is the boastful statement itself—the thing someone says when they’re showing off. “That’s quite a brag” means someone just said something impressively boastful. You might call out a brag when you hear one, or admit that your own statement was “a bit of a brag.”
💎 Vivid Example
His claim that three different women had asked for his phone number that night was such an obvious brag that his friends exchanged skeptical glances and asked if imaginary women counted toward the total.
4 'Humble Brag' — Disguised Boasting — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This modern expression describes a sneaky form of bragging—complaining or being self-deprecating in a way that’s actually showing off. “I’m so exhausted from all these job offers” is a humble brag. “I hate how I can eat anything and never gain weight” is a humble brag. The person pretends to have a problem, but they’re really just bragging.
💎 Vivid Example
“Ugh, my boyfriend is so annoying—he keeps surprising me with romantic trips to Paris,” she sighed, delivering such a transparent humble brag that her single friends wanted to throw their drinks at her.
5 To Boast About Abilities or Achievements — VERY COMMON Common ▼
People brag about what they can do—their talents, skills, accomplishments, and successes. Athletes brag about victories. Students brag about grades. Professionals brag about career achievements. Sometimes this bragging is deserved; sometimes it’s exaggerated. Either way, it can get tiresome for listeners.
💎 Vivid Example
The retired athlete spent every dinner party bragging about his glory days on the football field, telling the same stories so many times that even his wife could recite them word for word and had to resist rolling her eyes.
6 'Bragging Rights' — The Privilege of Boasting After Winning — VERY COMMON Common ▼
“Bragging rights” is what you earn when you beat someone—the right to talk about your victory and remind them who won. Sibling rivalries are often about bragging rights. Office competitions offer bragging rights. Sometimes the bragging rights matter more than any actual prize.
💎 Vivid Example
The annual family board game tournament wasn’t really about the ten-dollar prize—it was about the bragging rights that let the winner remind everyone else of their superiority for the entire following year.
7 Something Worth Being Proud Of — 'Nothing to Brag About' — COMMON Common ▼
When something is “nothing to brag about,” it means it’s not impressive—there’s no reason to show off about it. Conversely, if something is “worth bragging about,” it genuinely deserves pride and admiration. This usage acknowledges that some achievements really are impressive enough to justify a little boasting.
💎 Vivid Example
His test score was nothing to brag about—barely passing when he had promised himself he would finally study seriously this semester—but at least he hadn’t failed completely like he’d feared.
8 To Boast About Other People (Especially Children) — COMMON Common ▼
Parents are famous for bragging about their children—grades, sports achievements, talents, looks, everything. Grandparents are even worse. This kind of bragging is so common it’s almost expected, though it can still annoy people who have to listen to endless stories about how exceptional someone else’s kid is.
💎 Vivid Example
The grandmother carried a phone full of photos just so she could brag about her grandchildren to anyone who would listen, cornering strangers in grocery stores to show them pictures of a spelling bee trophy and a kindergarten finger painting.
9 'Not to Brag, But...' — Introducing a Boast — VERY COMMON Common ▼
People often say “not to brag, but…” right before bragging. It’s a self-aware disclaimer that doesn’t actually stop anyone from boasting—it just acknowledges that what’s coming next is going to sound like showing off. The phrase has become almost a joke because it always precedes exactly what it claims to avoid.
💎 Vivid Example
“Not to brag, but I finished the marathon in under three hours,” he said casually, fully intending to brag and making sure everyone at the table knew exactly how impressive his time was.
10 A Card Game Similar to Poker (Noun) — LESS COMMON Common ▼
Brag is also the name of a traditional British card game that’s similar to poker, involving betting and bluffing. Players try to convince others they have better cards than they actually do—which is fitting, since the game is named after boasting. It’s been played in Britain for centuries.
💎 Vivid Example
His grandfather taught him to play brag during rainy summer holidays, the old card game requiring the same skills of deception and confidence that its name suggested, with pennies changing hands around the kitchen table.
11 'Braggart' — A Person Who Brags Constantly (Related Noun) — COMMON Common ▼
A braggart is someone who brags all the time—a habitual boaster. Calling someone a braggart is an insult, suggesting they’re annoying, insecure, and unable to stop talking about themselves. Nobody wants to be labeled a braggart, though plenty of people earn the title.
💎 Vivid Example
Everyone in the office knew him as the department braggart, the guy who couldn’t send an email without mentioning his Ivy League degree or his connections to people whose names he expected everyone to recognize.
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Examples from the Street

“I don’t mean to brag, but I got the highest score in the class.”
I don’t want to sound boastful, but I achieved the best result
“He’s always bragging about his expensive car.”
He constantly talks proudly about his costly vehicle
“That’s nothing to brag about.”
That’s nothing impressive; that’s not worth boasting about
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Common Patterns

brag about something → talk proudly about an achievement or possession
brag about doing something → boast about having done something
always/constantly bragging about → repeatedly boasting
nothing to brag about → nothing impressive or worth boasting about
I don’t mean to brag, but… → humble introduction before saying something impressive
not to brag, but… → I’m not trying to boast, however…
I hate to brag, but… → I dislike boasting, however…
without wanting to brag… → not intending to sound boastful…
bragging rights → the right to boast about winning or achieving something
a brag → a boastful statement
a braggart → a person who brags constantly
humble brag → a boast disguised as a complaint or modest statement
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Collocations

3 collocations
brag about
boast proudly about an achievement
nothing to brag about
not impressive or worth mentioning
humble brag
a boast disguised as a complaint or modest remark
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Example Sentences

12 examples
1
He’s always bragging about how much money he makes
He constantly talks proudly about his high income.
2
I don’t mean to brag, but I finished the marathon in under three hours
I’m not trying to sound boastful, but I completed the race in less than three hours.
3
Coming second is nothing to brag about — I wanted to win
Finishing as runner-up isn’t impressive — I wanted first place.
4
She never brags about her achievements, which is refreshing
She never boasts about her accomplishments, which is pleasant and unusual.
5
Stop bragging — nobody likes a show-off
Stop boasting — no one appreciates someone who flaunts their success.
6
The local team now has bragging rights after beating their rivals
The home squad can now boast about their victory over their competitors.
7
That’s such a humble brag — “Oh, I’m so tired from my holiday in the Maldives”
That’s a boast disguised as a complaint — pretending to moan while actually showing off.
8
He bragged that he could speak five languages fluently
He boasted that he was able to communicate perfectly in five tongues.
9
Not to brag, but I predicted this would happen months ago
I’m not trying to boast, but I said this would occur ages before it did.
10
Nobody likes someone who brags all the time
No one appreciates a person who constantly boasts.
🎓 Learner Examples
★
I don’t mean to brag, but my English has improved so much that native speakers think I grew up abroad
I’m not trying to sound boastful, but my language skills have developed so significantly that fluent speakers assume I was raised in an English-speaking country.
★
Passing a basic exam is nothing to brag about — the real challenge is using the language confidently in real situations
Succeeding in a simple test isn’t impressive — the true difficulty is employing the tongue with assurance in actual conversations.
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Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

1 item
🔥 Phrasal Verbs
brag about — boast proudly about something
He couldn't stop bragging about his new car to everyone at work.
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Synonyms & Antonyms

7 items
✅ Synonyms
boast
talking proudly about yourself
show off
trying to impress others
gloat
rubbing your success in someone's face
blow your own trumpet
British idiom, praising yourself
❌ Antonyms
be modest
not showing off
downplay
making something seem less impressive
be humble
not drawing attention to yourself