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Boast vs Smug - What's the difference?

boast | smug |

In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between boast and smug

is that boast is (obsolete) to speak in exulting language of another; to glory; to exult while smug is (obsolete) studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.

As verbs the difference between boast and smug

is that boast is to brag; to talk loudly in praise of oneself or boast can be (masonry) to dress, as a stone, with a broad chisel while smug is (obsolete|transitive) to make smug, or spruce.

As a noun boast

is a brag, a loud positive appraisal of oneself.

As an adjective smug is

irritatingly pleased with oneself; self-satisfied.

boast

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) boosten, bosten, from .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A brag, a loud positive appraisal of oneself.
  • (squash) A shot where the ball is driven off a side wall and then strikes the front wall.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To brag; to talk loudly in praise of oneself.
  • * 2005 , (Plato), Sophist . Translation by Lesley Brown. .
    • On no account will he or any other kind be able to boast that he's escaped the pursuit of those who can follow so detailed and comprehensive a method of enquiry.
  • To speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self-commendation; to extol.
  • * (John Milton)
    • Lest bad men should boast / Their specious deeds.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)
    • , volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content", or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing",
  • (obsolete) To speak in exulting language of another; to glory; to exult.
  • * Bible, Psalms xiiv. 8
    • In God we boast all the day long.
  • (squash) To play a .
  • (ergative) To possess something special.
    • Synonyms
    * brag
    Derived terms
    * boastful * boastfully * outboast

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (masonry) To dress, as a stone, with a broad chisel.
    • (Weale)
  • (sculpting) To shape roughly as a preparation for the finer work to follow; to cut to the general form required.

    • Anagrams

    * * English reporting verbs

    smug

    English

    Adjective

    (smugger)
  • Irritatingly pleased with oneself; self-satisfied.
    • Kate looked extremely smug this morning.
  • (obsolete) Studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.
  • * Robynson (More's Utopia)
    • They be so smug and smooth.
  • * De Quincey
    • the smug and scanty draperies of his style
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • A young, smug , handsome holiness has no fellow.

    Synonyms

    * self-satisfied * complacent

    Derived terms

    * smugly * smugness

    Verb

    (smugg)
  • (obsolete) To make smug, or spruce.
  • * Dryton
    • Thus said, he smugged his beard, and stroked up fair.
    (Webster 1913)

    External links

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    Anagrams

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