1.boast的基本意思是“升,提”,指说话人在确实具有夸耀理由的基础上,对自己的某一事(如业绩、成就、学识、机灵、祖先等)有比事实更大的虚饰,更多的炫耀,有言过其实的成分,可译作“夸口”或“吹嘘”,但并不一定都有坏的含义。引申表示为“因拥有…而自豪”。
2.boast用作不及物动词时,意为“自夸”“自吹自擂”,常接介词of或about; 用作及物动词时可跟简单宾语,也可跟that从句。接以“(to be)+n./adj.”充当补足语的复合宾语时则表示“自诩是”“自夸是”。
3.boast用在进行时态中时,并不真正表示“正在吹嘘”,而是说他有爱吹嘘的坏毛病。

boast about〔of〕(v.+prep.)
夸耀,吹嘘 speak too proudly of sth
▲boast about〔of〕 sth/v-ing/wh-clause
She never boasts about〔of〕 her talent.她从不夸耀自己的才华。
He boasts of〔about〕 having a fine voice.他夸耀自己有一副好嗓子。
She often boasts about her children.她常常夸耀自己的孩子。
It is unpleasant to hear him boast about his own abilities.听他吹嘘自己的能力令人讨厌。
He's always boasting about how clever his children are.他总是自吹他的小孩是多么聪明。
She boasts of her high grades in school.她夸耀自己优秀的学习成绩。
He boasted of having passed the examination.他夸耀已经通过了考试。
◇ 用于be ～ed 结构
The Victorian Age is often boasted of as an age of progress.维多利亚时代常常被夸耀为进步时代。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
Don't believe him; he's just boasting.别信他,他不过是在吹牛。
Some people are always boasting.有些人老爱吹牛。
He boasts too much.他大话说得太多。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
She boasts her skill.她夸耀自己的本领。
Our village boasts a new school building.我们的村子以拥有一座新校舍而自豪。
Our school can now boast a fine swimming pool.我们的学校现在能以有一个漂亮的游泳池而自豪了。
The town boasts a beautiful lake.这个镇以有一个美丽的湖而自豪。
The new computer boasts a number of distinctive features.这台新计算机具有许多与众不同的特色。
▲S+～+that/wh-clause
The man boasted that he has ever attended that famous battle.这个男人夸口说他曾经参加过那次著名的战役。
He boasted that he could easily beat his opponent at the election.他自夸能够轻易地在选举中击败对手。
He boasted that he could speak six languages fluently.他自夸自己能流利地讲6种语言。
He boasts that he is one of the best shots in the country.他自诩是国内最优秀射手之一。
He boasted that it was the most expensive film ever made.他吹嘘说那部电影是花费最昂贵的。
He boasted what a clever boy his son was.他吹嘘他儿子是多么聪明。
用作宾补动词
▲S+～+n./pron.+(to be) n./pron.
He boasted himself a fashion expert.他自吹是个时装专家。
He boasted himself to be the best basketball player.他自夸自己是最佳篮球运动员。
▲引出直接引语
He boasted to newsmen,“I'm the best long distance runner in the region.”他向记者自夸道:“我是本地区最佳的长跑运动员。”

boast about, boast of
这组词语都表示夸耀的内容,常可互换,只是of所指内容比about更具体些。试比较:
The old woman often boasts about her grandson.
那老太太常常夸耀自己的孙子。
The old woman often boasts of her grandson's high grades in school.
那老太太常常夸耀她孙子学习成绩优秀。
boast, brag, glory
这组词意思相近。它们之间的区别是:
1.boast既可作“吹嘘”解,也可作“以…为自豪”解; 而brag只作“吹嘘”解,无“以…自豪”之义; glory只可作“自豪”“得意”解,不含“吹嘘,吹牛”之义。
2.boast和brag都可用作及物或不及物动词; 而glory只用作不及物动词,且多和in连用。
3.boast指并非全无根据地“吹嘘”; 而brag则指毫无事实依据地乱“吹”。

1.boast作“自夸的话”解时有贬义，作“引以为荣的事物”解时不带贬义。
2.boast后常跟that引导的同位语从句。

He is full of boasts.他满口大话。
His boast that he could drink ten pints of beer impressed nobody.他自夸说能喝十品脱的啤酒,但无人理睬他。
Her daughter is her boast.她的女儿是她的骄傲。

［同义词］ v. & n.  brag, pride