Flaunt
/flɔːnt/noun
To show off in a conspicuous, often boastful way.
Did you know?Flaunt is often linked by scholars to a Scandinavian root meaning “to flutter, wave, or move lightly,” which is why its earliest sense may have been more about restless motion than pure vanity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*flautaną
“to flutter, wave, or move lightly”
Old Norse
ON
flauta
“to flounder or move about awkwardly; possibly related to fluttering motion”
Early Modern English
English
flaunten
“to wave, brandish, or make a showy display”
16th Century
English
flaunt
“to behave in a showy, ostentatious way”
Modern English
English
flaunt
“to display oneself or something conspicuously and often defiantly”