Braggart — A Vocabulary Story
Giulia and the Braggart of the Park
Giulia's cousin Marco arrived on Saturday with his shiny new scooter and his even shinier opinion of himself.
"I'm the fastest scooter rider in my whole town," he announced before he'd even taken off his helmet. "Probably the country. Possibly the world."
Giulia's nonna raised one eyebrow, the way she did when the pasta was about to boil over. "What a braggart you've become, Marco," she said, ruffling his hair. "Come on, both of you. To the park."
Braggart means a person who boasts about their achievements or possessions in an annoying way.
At the park, Marco kept it up. He was the best climber. The best runner. The best whistler, apparently, though the sound he made was more like a kettle with a cold.
Giulia said nothing. She simply climbed to the very top of the climbing frame while Marco was still talking about how he could do it.
"That's the trouble with being a braggart," Nonna called up cheerfully. "You spend so long talking, someone quieter beats you to it."
Marco's cheeks went pink. He stared at his shoes for a moment, then climbed up beside Giulia. Halfway, his foot slipped, and Giulia grabbed his sleeve.
"Thanks," he mumbled. Then, very quietly, "You're actually a really good climber."
Giulia nearly fell off in surprise. A compliment! From Marco!
On the way home, Marco only bragged twice, which Nonna said was a personal record. Giulia decided that a part-time braggart was a big improvement, and shared her ice cream with him anyway.
Word Definition
braggart
meaning
a person who boasts about their achievements or possessions in an annoying way
synonyms
boaster · show-off · bragger · big-head
antonyms
modest · humble · self-effacing
example sentence
The braggart kept bragging about his new bike.