beat one's chest

verb

To brag ostentatiously.

“beating his chest about his accomplishments”

Similar
beat one's breast
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Meanings

verbbeat one's chest (third-person singular simple present beats one's chest, present participle beating one's chest, simple past beat one's chest, past participle beaten one's chest or (colloquial) beat one's chest)

present singular third person beats one's chest · participle present beating one's chest · participle past beaten one's chest

  1. To brag ostentatiously.

    beating his chest about his accomplishments

  2. Synonym of beat one's breast (“lament”).

    Synonyms: beat one's breast

Synonyms & antonyms

verbSynonym of beat one's breast (“lament”).

Similar
beat one's breast
Also see
beat one's breastbrag

Origin

The bragging sense may have come from, and certainly connotatively evokes, the theme of gorillas beating their chests in displays of dominance, aggression, defense, or otherwise.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

beat one's chest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20one's%20chest

MLA

“beat one's chest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20one's%20chest. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beat one's chest,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20one's%20chest.

Source: beat one's chest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.