intr.v. gloat·ed, gloat·ing, gloats To feel or express great, often malicious, pleasure or self-satisfaction: Don't gloat over your rival's misfortune. n. 1. The act of gloating. 2. A feeling of great, often malicious, pleasure or self-satisfaction. [Perhaps of Scandinavian origin; see ghel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] gloater n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.