# Is the word "vaunted" only used pejoratively? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2016, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089 "2016-06-11T07:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/1 "2016-06-11T07:52:04Z")
Hi, All online dictionaries I’ve consulted give “vaunted” was a pejorative term or one that certainly isn’t positive. Does this sentiment always necessarily align with actual common usage of the word? Does it necessarily mean unmerited/unwarranted boastful praise? > **[once-vaunted — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik](https://www.wordnik.com/words/once-vaunted)** > > All the words “Closer to home, California passed a budget with deep cuts to social safety net programs and the state’s once-vaunted higher education system.” I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/2 "2016-06-11T08:31:34Z")
It has always been used to mean boastful, over done. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. 1 Corinthians 13:4 ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/3 "2016-06-11T09:27:07Z")
Not really. Like most words — even more so in French or other languages with fewer words — there is great nuance, which can also depend on the period of the word’s evolution through time. Yes, it can mean boastful, but boastful itself is not susceptible of a single meaning: \* The smug winner boasted of his or her virtue that caused success.\* _The wooden sign boasted the wayside Inn._ _The wary general noticed the heights boasted many cannon._ Vaunted can also mean prominent; or it can mean treasured, as in this webpage on [**The Villa Tiziana**](http://www.tizianahotel.com/en/surroundings.php) ( an hotel ) in Tuscany: _The charm of the hill overhanging the sea, a wonderful choreography that seems to have been designed by a romantic painter who traced an extremely intense painting, a treasure, vaunt of the Province of La Spezia, destination for tourists from all over the world_ Or a truthful pride as in this by [**Richard Carew:**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_heraldry) \*“The most Cornish gentlemen can better vaunt of their pedigree than their livelihood for that they derive from great antiquity, and I make question whether any shire in England of but equal quantitie can muster a like number of faire coate-armours” _Or, what I would most associate with the word is a wistfulremembrance of times past_, the vaunted splendours of yesterday, \*the _ **spirit** _ of the very famous words of Carew’s contemporary, the rascal judge \* [**Sir Ranulph Crewe**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranulph_Crewe): \*Time hath his revolutions, and there must be an end to all temporal things, **finus rerum**. Where is Bohun, where’s Mowbray, where’s Mortimer? Nay, which is more and most of all, where is Plantagenet? They are entombed in the urns and sepulchres of mortality. And yet let the name and dignity of De Vere stand so long as it pleaseth God.’ \*\* non-royalist. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/4 "2016-06-11T10:41:27Z")
[quote=“Claverhouse, post:3, topic:757089”] Not really. Like most words — even more so in French or other languages with fewer words — there is great nuance, which can also depend on the period of the word’s evolution through time. Yes, it can mean boastful, but boastful itself is not susceptible of a single meaning: \* The smug winner boasted of his or her virtue that caused success.\* _The wooden sign boasted the wayside Inn._ _The wary general noticed the heights boasted many cannon._ Vaunted can also mean prominent; or it can mean treasured, as in this webpage on [**The Villa Tiziana**](http://www.tizianahotel.com/en/surroundings.php) ( an hotel ) in Tuscany: _The charm of the hill overhanging the sea, a wonderful choreography that seems to have been designed by a romantic painter who traced an extremely intense painting, a treasure, vaunt of the Province of La Spezia, destination for tourists from all over the world_ Thanks Cleaverhouse. Very helpful ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/5 "2016-06-11T14:13:12Z")
Here’s a historical example. Most people these days don’t realize that “The Star-Spangled Banner” has four verses. The third verse was dropped during WW2, as sort of a group concession to British feelings. > [@](#): > > And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, > That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion > A home and a Country should leave us no more? > Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution. > No refuge could save the hireling and slave > From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, > And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave > O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. > **[NMAH | The Lyrics](https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-lyrics.aspx)** > > Francis Scott Key was a gifted amateur poet. Inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry the morning after the bombardment, he scribbled the initial verse of his song on the back of a letter. Back in Baltimore, he completed... ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/6 "2016-06-11T15:42:23Z")
I checked Google Books and set it to [21st century hits](https://www.google.com/search?q=vaunted&num=100&newwindow=1&tbm=bks&source=lnt&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:2000,cd_max:2099&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRyLaxpqDNAhWDJx4KHZs9B9IQpwUIFg&biw=1080&bih=1780&dpr=1)to see modern usage. Vaunted’s most common usage appears to be a denial. “Claimed vaunted” or supposedly vaunted" or “once vaunted” Since some users do make positive usage of it - that must proceed the denial - vaunted can’t be said to be exclusively pejorative. I would be careful about using the word, though, because the reading of \*excessive \*and \*unwarranted \*boasting is always there. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/7 "2016-06-11T15:55:19Z")
The one time I ever took note of the word ‘vaunted’ was in an article about Smokin’ Joe Frazier’s last fight (vs. Floyd Cummings, 1981). The write-up referred (paraphrasing, but pretty close), that ‘he no longer had that once vaunted left hook.’ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/8 "2016-06-11T16:52:11Z")
The phrase “once vaunted” is negative, but the use of “vaunted” in the phrase _is_ positive. Compare to “once great”. The person was no longer great. But being great is supposedly positive. If “vaunted” was only considered negative on its own, then “once vaunted” would be positive. Since “vaunted” originally indicated just praise and people raised a certain way consider receiving praise a negative thing, then there’s some uncertainty in usage that has to be sussed using context. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/9 "2016-06-11T17:07:00Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > _The wooden sign boasted the wayside Inn._ I’d say _The wayside inn boasted a wooden sign_ or _The wooden sign boasted of the wayside inn_ > [@](#): > > _The wary general noticed the heights boasted many cannon._ How about _The wary general noticed that the heights boasted many cannon._ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/10 "2016-06-11T17:28:00Z")
> [@Greta Garbo](#): > > I vaunt to be alone. … ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/11 "2016-06-11T22:29:18Z")
Maybe Greta didn’t vaunt vot you vaunted. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/12 "2016-06-13T01:24:11Z")
The basic meaning of the verb “to vaunt” is to boast or to brag. It’s from the Latin _vanitare_, to behave in a vain fashion. So, yes, there’s always some negative aspect to vaunting. It can be that what you are boasting or bragging about is in fact impressive or remarkable. A much-vaunted view may, in fact, be a very fine view. Still, we can distinguish between the much-vaunted view (good) and the people who vaunt about it (not so good). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/13 "2016-06-13T02:11:22Z")
Clearly the OP isn’t a football fan. It’s impossible to watch a pre-game show without their term “vaunted defense” used to describe a good team. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-vaunted-only-used-pejoratively/757089/14 "2016-06-14T06:03:06Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > The basic meaning of the verb “to vaunt” is to boast or to brag. It’s from the Latin _vanitare_, to behave in a vain fashion. So, yes, there’s always some negative aspect to vaunting. > > It can be that what you are boasting or bragging about is in fact impressive or remarkable. A much-vaunted view may, in fact, be a very fine view. Still, we can distinguish between the much-vaunted view (good) and the people who vaunt about it (not so good). Thanks UDS for that distinction in usage. It’s clear to me now. Does the OED make that distinction? Thank you all.