: highly or widely praised or boasted about
his own much vaunted ferocity—
Calvin Tomkins
Calvin Tomkins
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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
The head of the vaunted Finance Committee, Burke not only worked the city’s purse strings but also was a shrewd ward boss, political tactician and judicial slate-maker.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Air defense missiles, in particular the expensive interceptors for the vaunted U.S.-made Patriot systems, have always been at the top of Kyiv's wish list.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
In the past three years, the vaunted crew of ACM Triple Crown Award recipients has expanded to include Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
New York is reportedly set to sign vaunted sixth man Jordan Clarkson when players can officially ink deals on July 6.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025
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Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Air defense missiles, in particular the expensive interceptors for the vaunted U.S.-made Patriot systems, have always been at the top of Kyiv's wish list.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
In the past three years, the vaunted crew of ACM Triple Crown Award recipients has expanded to include Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
New York is reportedly set to sign vaunted sixth man Jordan Clarkson when players can officially ink deals on July 6.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaunted
Cite this Entry
“Vaunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaunted. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vaunted
adjective
vaunt·ed
ˈvȯnt-əd 
ˈvänt-
: much praised or boasted about
the team's vaunted offense
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