braggarts

A braggart is a person who habitually boasts about their achievements, wealth, or abilities, often in a loud, ostentatious, or self-aggrandizing manner. Bragging is typically aimed at gaining admiration or social leverage, and it may rely on exaggeration or selective disclosure. In ordinary usage, braggarts are viewed negatively, especially when their boasts ignore others’ contributions or feelings.

Etymology and scope: The word derives from brag, to boast, with the -art suffix that forms a noun describing a person; the term has appeared in English since the early modern period. It is closely related to braggadocio, a broader term for boastful, swaggering talk.

Social and psychological dimensions: Boasting can function as self-presentation, signaling confidence, resources, or competence to observers. However, chronic bragging often backfires, undermining credibility, irritating listeners, and harming relationships. Some theories describe braggarts as seeking reassurance or attempting to compensate for insecurities; humor or self-deprecation can reduce perceived arrogance.

Cultural depictions and distinctions: In literature and folklore, braggarts recur as stock characters that expose vanity or hypocrisy. Not all boasting is bragging: casual or situational boasting may be harmless or appropriate, while a braggart is marked by persistent, unsolicited, self-centered bragging.

See also: Boasting; Bragging; Braggadocio; Arrogance; Self-promotion.