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

Saturday Night Live has a vaunted tradition of handing over the keys of its first post-election episode to a comedian whose fan base spans the entire political spectrum. —Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024

The band was good enough to earn a shot at the Apollo Theater’s vaunted Amateur Night when Taylor was 13. —Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024

Baldwin is known for a vaunted constituent services program, but Republicans have hoped that Hovde could aid the party investment in the race with money from his vast personal coffers. —Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

The company is also involved with the vaunted Iron Dome and David's Sling countermeasures. —Colin Demarest, Axios, 30 Oct. 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