flaunt

flaunt — verb

1. to deliberately show your money, success, or abilities to others in a proud and

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to deliberately show your money, success, or abilities to others in a proud and obvious way, so that they will admire or envy you

Example

Ravindra refused to flaunt his new sports car in front of his neighbours.

negative construction: 'refused to flaunt'

The company's new manager flaunted her expensive silk dress at every team meeting.

flaunt + status symbol (expensive dress)

Common collocations
  • flaunt wealth
  • flaunt success
  • flaunt possessions
  • flaunt money
  • flaunt achievements
Synonyms
  • show off

    more common in everyday speech; less strong in tone

  • parade

    suggests walking around proudly displaying something for others to see

  • boast about

    focuses on talking proudly, not showing visually

  • display

    neutral; lacks the negative judgement that 'flaunt' often carries

Antonyms
  • hide

    to keep something away from others' view

  • conceal

    more formal than 'hide'

Grammar Patterns

flaunt + noun phrase (possessions, achievements, qualities)

Usage Note

Frequently carries a mildly negative tone — the person is seen as trying too hard to impress others. Common adverbs include 'openly', 'shamelessly', and 'proudly'.

Common Mistakes

The driver flaunted the traffic rules.
The driver flouted the traffic rules.
'flaunt' means to show off; 'flout' means to deliberately ignore a rule.

2. to wear revealing clothing or carry yourself in a sexually confident way in orde

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to wear revealing clothing or carry yourself in a sexually confident way in order to attract attention

Example

Salma walked onto the stage and began to flaunt her athletic figure in a swimsuit.

flaunt + body / figure

Some young influencers flaunt their bodies online to attract more brand deals.

Common collocations
  • flaunt body
  • flaunt figure
  • flaunt curves
  • flaunt oneself
Synonyms
  • show off

    more general and less specifically sexual in meaning

Grammar Patterns

flaunt + body/figure/curves

flaunt + reflexive pronoun (oneself/himself/herself/themselves)

Usage Note

Often combines with reflexive pronouns ('flaunt yourself / himself / themselves'). Common in entertainment, fashion, and social media contexts.

Idioms

if you've got it, flaunt it

idiom

used to say that someone should not be afraid to proudly show their attractive qualities or abilities

Ezra wore a bright gold jacket to the awards ceremony, believing that if you have got it, you should flaunt it.

if you’ve got it, flaunt it

idiom

This phrase encourages someone to proudly show their good qualities or abilities to others.

Maya wore her new dress to the party, thinking if you've got it, flaunt it.

If you've got it, flaunt it, Diego said as he showed off his guitar skills.

Word family

  • flaunting
    adjectiveC1
  • flauntily
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Flaunt' and 'show off' both mean displaying something proudly, but 'show off' is more common in everyday conversation and can be playful ('The kids showed off their drawings'). 'Flaunt' has a stronger negative tone — it suggests the person is deliberately making others feel inferior. 'Boast' focuses on talking rather than showing ('He boasted about his promotion'), while 'parade' emphasises moving around so everyone can look ('She paraded her new handbag around the office'). Use 'flaunt' when the display is visual, obvious, and meant to impress or provoke envy. For example: 'She flaunted her diamond ring at every chance.' vs 'He just boasted about his salary.' — the first is about showing, the second about telling.

show off ↗boast ↗parade ↗flaunt ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • flaunt it if you have got it
  • flaunt one's stuff

Prepositions

Etymology

ScandinavianEnglish

'Flaunt' first appeared in English in the mid-16th century, probably coming from Scandinavian languages — compare the Swedish word 'flanka' (to waggle or swing about) or the Norwegian 'flanta' (to gad about or wander aimlessly). Its original meaning was closer to 'to wave or flutter showily', often used for banners or flags. By the 18th century, it had shifted to its modern sense of proudly displaying possessions, wealth, or the body. Despite sounding similar, 'flaunt' is NOT related to 'flout' (which means to disobey), though the two words are frequently confused.