"I WAS TASKED......"

I know that using task as a verb is acceptable, but the usage sounds mostly self-aggrandizing.
I have an acquaintance who has repeatedly said, "I was TASKED" to...." (fill in the blanks!). After hearing him use the phrase at least three times, I finally asked, "Do you think that TASKED sounds important or impressive?"

Taking George Clooney to task?
Q: Twice in The Monuments Men (screenplay by George Clooney), Clooney the actor uses “task” as a verb: “We have been tasked to find and protect art that the Nazis have stolen.&#82…
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