vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯn-təd 

ˈvän-

: highly or widely praised or boasted about

his own much vaunted ferocity

—Calvin Tomkins

Did you know?

Vaunted Has Latin Roots

The verb vaunt has been used since the 15th century with the meaning "to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments"—in other words, "to brag or boast." Over time, vaunt developed the meaning "to boast of (something)," as in "the promotional flier vaunts the natural beauty of the area," and gave rise to the adjectival form vaunted. The history of vaunt and vaunted leads back to the Latin word vānus, meaning "vain" or "empty." The word vain itself is also a descendant of vānus.

Examples of vaunted in a Sentence

The team's vaunted defense faltered in the second half of the game.

Recent Examples on the Web

Britney Spears had a fight with her boyfriend at Chateau Marmont this week, resulting in paramedics being called to the vaunted Hollywood establishment and the pop star leaving the hotel with her own security team, The Times has confirmed. —Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024

The country’s vaunted secular culture received fresh scrutiny. —Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of vaunt entry 1

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

vaunted

adjective

vaunt·​ed ˈvȯnt-əd 

ˈvänt-

: much praised or boasted about

the team's vaunted offense