Gloating is a behavior that involves expressing excessive pride or satisfaction in one's own accomplishments, often at the expense of others. The term can be broken down into three crossword solutions: EXULTING (8 letters), SMUGNESS (8 letters), and CROWING (7 letters). EXULTING is an expression of joy or triumph, while SMUGNESS is a feeling of superiority or self-satisfaction. CROWING is a verb that describes the act of bragging or boasting. All three words are related to gloating, as they all involve expressing pride in one's own accomplishments.