Someone who’s a big braggart, always boasting about their amazing life or success, can be toxic. They’re constantly trying to outshine you with their words or turning everything into a competition. You probably wish they’d chill and stop trying so hard to get validation, right? Well, you don’t have to sit there and listen to them anymore! Here are 15 ways to shut them down.
1. “Excuse me.”
If you’re sick and tired of the person always trying to one-up you, you shouldn’t force yourself to stay in the conversation. For example, if you’ve shared that you’ve run a marathon and the person mentioned they’ve run two, you could politely excuse yourself to go to the bathroom or make the excuse that you’re expecting an important call.
2. “Oh, did you hear about…”
Sometimes, the best way to deal with an off-putting comment is to direct everyone’s attention to something else. This sends the show-off a clear message that you don’t want to spend all day talking about their new yacht or hearing about how many IG followers they have. Saying, “Did you hear about the new club that’s opening up in town?” or “Did you hear about Mary’s wedding over the weekend?” will help you sail off to another topic instead of feeling stuck.
3. “Cool.”
If you don’t want to remain silent when a show-off boasts about their success because you fear they’ll perceive it as jealousy or envy, you can mumble a casual or nonchalant remark, such as “Cool.” Since this is a neutral comment, it effectively downplays their achievements so that you don’t have to listen to their bragging.
4. “Didn’t Sonia help with that? She’s amazing.”
If someone’s always bragging about how great they are at everything, it can help to keep them in check by mentioning other people who contributed to their success. So, you could ask, “Didn’t Sonia help you with that project? She’s such a good researcher, don’t you think?” This will prevent them from being so self-absorbed and arrogant.
5. “Oh, we’re hearing about this again!”
While you don’t want to be nasty to the person because that can make you seem jealous, you can gently poke fun at how they’re always boasting. A moment like, “Oh, we’re hearing about this again!” takes attention away from what they’re talking about for a bit. It sends the message that they’re dominating conversations by talking about themselves.
6. “Huh.”
This phrase works well because they won’t expect it. They might assume you’ll dish them words of praise or show interest in what they have to say. But when you hit them with this phrase, it’ll make them stop and wonder why you’re viewing their success in a negative light. It’s a clever way to downplay what they’re saying.
7. “Is that the time?”
Some show-offs are so self-absorbed that they don’t notice body language cues from people around them. To make them get the hint that they’re boring everyone with their chatter, you could look at your watch and exclaim, “Is that the time?” This also works well if you’re stuck on a phone call with them and they won’t let you go.
8. “That’s so similar to my story…”
To prevent a show-off from getting caught up in their bragging, you could gently direct the conversation to yourself. For example, if they’re talking about their lengthy history in politics, you could say, “That’s so similar to my story—I also have experience in politics.” Hopefully, this tactic will work well to remind the person that they should ask you about yourself once in a while.
9. “That was a job well done.”
If you want to seem polite by congratulating the person for their achievements, it’s important not to praise them too much as it will go straight to their head. So, instead of saying, “You’re so talented,” you could say something like, “That was a job well done” or “You did really well on the task.” This focuses on the work they did, instead of their personality traits.
10. “When do you find the time to relax?”
This is a light, humorous comment that works well to divert the person’s attention and force them out of their braggy soliloquy at a party or other social gathering. It’s also a better way to deal with a show-off than trying to compete with them, which will just reflect negatively on you.
11. “It’s good that you’re so humble.”
Poke a bit of fun at the person’s constant need for validation by giving them this response, which is a bit sarcastic. Telling them, “It’s good that you’re so humble” will make them more aware of their behavior. They’ll probably backtrack or apologize for dominating the chat or being rude. Hopefully, they’ll realize their show-off tendencies are annoying so they’ll stop doing it in the future.
12. “I’d love to learn more about you than your achievements.”
If you care about the person, it might help them to stop bragging so much if you show interest in who they are. Telling them something like, “I’d love to learn more about you than your achievements” is a nice way of saying that they’re too focused on one-upping you instead of being authentic in your company. It also lets them know that they don’t have to feel so competitive around you.
13. “Can I tell you something?”
If you don’t want to insult the person who’s showing off, you could try to put the focus on yourself for a change. Get their attention by saying, “Can I tell you something?” This might help them to snap out of their head and stop boring you with all their anecdotes. It reminds them that they should pay attention to you instead of just expecting you to listen to them.
14. “Don’t you hate how John always brags?”
To try to get through to the person who keeps boasting, you could draw their attention to a mutual friend who also brags. By saying something, “Don’t you hate how John always brags?” you’re focusing on how you dislike being around show-offs. Hint, hint! Since this person is a show-off themselves, they’ll hopefully catch your drift.
15. “I know you’re great, you don’t have to prove it.”
This response works well if you’re dealing with a chronic bragger who’s insecure and keeps seeking validation. By telling them that you know how great they are and they don’t have to convince you of their talents, you’re kindly giving them a confidence boost. You’re also telling them that they don’t have to work so hard to prove themselves, which will hopefully make them relax in your company instead of feeling so much pressure to be amazing.
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