gloat

Pronunciation: /ɡloʊt/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun malicious satisfaction
  2. verb dwell on with satisfaction
  3. verb gaze at or think about something with great self-satisfaction, gratification, or joy

Etymology

From Middle English *gloten, glouten, from Old Norse glotta (“to grin, smile scornfully”) or Old English *glotian, both from Proto-Germanic *glutōną (“to stare”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shine”), related to dialectal Swedish glotta, glutta (“to peep”), Middle High German glutzen, glotzen (“to stare”), Modern German glotzen (“to gawk, goggle”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

gloating, glee

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
satisfaction

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