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

Carrington started all 33 games while shooting 41.2% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 78.5% from the free throw line as the youngest player in the vaunted Atlantic Coast Conference. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2024

But underneath them all lies one question which continues to echo across Israel eight months after October 7: How could the most advanced military in the region, with its vaunted intelligence apparatus, have failed so completely in foreseeing the Hamas terror attack? —Oren Liebermann, CNN, 20 June 2024

Despite there being no shortage of centuries-old homes in London, there are not so many that carry a vaunted pedigree and have also been suitably renovated for modern living. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 18 June 2024

Contrary to the myth surrounding it, the vaunted embargo had little effect. —F. Gregory Gause Iii, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2023

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