taut

[ tawt ]
See synonyms for: tauttautness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,taut·er, taut·est.
  1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack.

  2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves.

  1. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

Origin of taut

1
1275–1325; earlier taught,Middle English tought; akin to tow1

Other words for taut

Other words from taut

  • tautly, adverb
  • tautness, noun
  • un·taut, adjective
  • un·taut·ly, adverb
  • un·taut·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with taut

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How to use taut in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for taut

taut

/ (tɔːt) /


adjective
  1. tightly stretched; tense

  2. showing nervous strain; stressed

  1. mainly nautical in good order; neat

Origin of taut

1
C14 tought; probably related to Old English togian to tow 1

Derived forms of taut

  • tautly, adverb
  • tautness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012