Proud by degrees

May 29th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

One of the features that I really enjoy in Webster’s New World College Dictionary is what it calls “synonymy.” It uses a shaded paragraph at the end of a main word entry to explore the shades of difference between that word and its synonyms.

Here are the distinctions given for “boast,” which I wrote about yesterday, and some of its cousins:

“Boast” — “the basic term,” which “merely suggests pride or satisfaction.”

“Brag” — “suggests greater ostentation and overstatement.”

“Vaunt” — “a formal, literary term, implies greater suavity but more vainglory.”

“Swagger” — “suggests a proclaiming of one’s superiority in an insolent or overbearing way.”

“Crow” — “suggests loud boasting in exultation or triumph.”

Now I feel I should look up “ostentation,” “suavity,” “vainglory,” “insolent” and “exultation,” just to be sure. Maybe later.

Entry Filed under: synonyms, word choices, definitions, strict usage