1. To exhibit ostentatiously or shamelessly: flaunts his trendy clothes; flaunts his knowledge about music. See Synonyms at show.
2. Usage Problem To ignore or disregard (a rule, for example) openly or scornfully.
v.intr.
1. To show oneself off or move in an ostentatious way: "A tortoiseshell butterfly flaunted across the window"(Virginia Woolf).
2. To wave grandly: pennants flaunting in the wind.
[Origin unknown.]
flaunt′er n.
flaunt′ing·ly adv.
Usage Note: Flaunt as a transitive verb means "to exhibit ostentatiously": She flaunted her wealth. To flout is "to show contempt for something by disregarding it": Some people at the reception flouted convention by wearing sneakers. For some time now flaunt has been used in the sense "to show contempt for," even by educated users of English. But this usage is still widely seen as erroneous. In our 2009 survey, 73 percent of the Usage Panel rejected it in the sentence This is just another example of an executive flaunting the rules for personal gain.
2. to ignore or treat with disdain; flout: expelled for flaunting regulations.
v.i.
3. to parade or display oneself conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly.
4. to wave conspicuously in the air.
[1560–70; of obscure orig.; compare Norwegian dial. flanta to show off]
flaunt′er,n.
flaunt′ing•ly,adv.
usage: Usage guides object strongly to flaunt in the sense “to ignore or treat with disdain,” advising that the proper word for this meaning is flout. Though this use of flaunt has appeared in the speech and edited writing of well-educated, literate people, many speakers and writers avoid it.
display, exhibit, expose - to show, make visible or apparent; "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?"; "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship"
flex - exhibit the strength of; "The victorious army flexes its invincibility"
to show off in order to attract attention to oneself. She flaunted her expensive clothes. vertoon; pronk يَتَباهى، يـظاهرُ متفاخِرا парадирам (с) exibir chlubit se (čím), okázale předvádět prunken prale af; skilte med επιδεικνύωostentar, hacer alarde de (millegagi) uhkeldama به رخ کشیدن pröystäillä faire étalage de לְהָראוֹת בְּגַאֲווָה दिखावा razmetati se, šepiriti se fitogtat memamerkan flagga; sÿna sig ostentare 見せびらかす 과시하다 puikuotis dižoties; plātīties menunjuk-nunjuk pronken met sprade, spankulere, vifte med paradować w, obnosić się z نخرې كول، ځان ښوول ځان ستايل، ځان پورته پورته كول exibir a etala щеголять pýšiť sa napihovati se razmetati se briljera (stoltsera) med โอ้อวด gösteriş yapmak 誇耀，炫耀 виставляти напоказ, хизуватися خودنمائی کرنا sự khoe khoang; sự phô trương 夸耀，炫耀
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