Definition

1. Verb (intransitive): To boast or brag; to talk about oneself or one's achievements in an excessively proud and exaggerated way in order to impress others.

Usage

This phrasal verb is informal and is used to describe the act of speaking with excessive pride, often by making exaggerated or untrue claims. It implies showing off through speech.

Examples

• He's always shooting a line about how important his job is.
• Don't listen to him; he's just shooting a line about his athletic achievements.
• She was shooting a line about meeting celebrities, but nobody believed her.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a connotation of skepticism from the listener. The speaker is not necessarily believed.
• It can be used in continuous tenses to describe ongoing or habitual boasting.

Variants and Related Words

• Line-shooting (noun): The act of boasting.
  • His constant line-shooting made him unpopular.

Synonyms

• Boast
• Brag
• Crow
• Swagger (verb)
• Talk big
• Vaunt

Related Idioms

• Blow one's own trumpet/horn: To boast about one's own achievements.
  • He never misses a chance to blow his own trumpet.
• Full of hot air: Describing someone who talks a lot but says little of substance, often including boasting.
  • Ignore him, he's just full of hot air.

Verb

1. show off