Boastful means constantly talking about yourself in a way that shows off how great you think you are. A boastful person brags about their accomplishments, possessions, or abilities, trying to impress others and make themselves look superior.

When someone is boastful, they might tell everyone how many goals they scored, how smart they are, or how much better their new bike is than everyone else's. The problem isn't sharing good news: it's the pushy, look-at-me attitude behind it. A boastful student doesn't just mention doing well on a test; they make sure everyone knows they got the highest score and act like it proves they're smarter than their classmates.

People usually find boastfulness annoying because it feels like the person cares more about impressing others than about genuine connection. There's a big difference between honest pride in your work and boastful behavior. Someone who genuinely accomplished something difficult might share their excitement naturally, while a boastful person turns every conversation into a chance to talk about themselves.

The related noun is boast. When you boast, you're speaking boastfully. You might say someone “made a boast” about winning the spelling bee, or that they “boasted” about their performance. Confident people can celebrate their successes without being boastful; they let their achievements speak for themselves.