taut
tightly drawn; tense; not slack.
emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves.
in good order or condition; tidy; neat.
Origin of taut
1Other 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use taut in a sentence
Rare is the first book that reveals the writer fully formed, the muscles and sinews of her sentences firm and taut, the voice distinctly her own — think Imbolo Mbue’s “Behold the Dreamers” or Casey Cep’s “Furious Hours.”
‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House,’ by Cherie Jones, is a stunning debut | Hamilton Cain | February 2, 2021 | Washington PostSquat to grasp the ends of the towel on either side of you, then raise into a half-squat with good form until the towel is taut, keeping your arms straight and at your sides.
To create straight lines, the Nazca people would pull a cord taut between two stakes, then etch the paths by scraping away dark rock to reveal a lighter layer beneath.
The famous Nazca lines aren’t mysterious—but they are ingenious | Sara Kiley Watson | January 3, 2021 | Popular-ScienceYet, for all of Rico’s over-the-topness, “Nightmare Vacation” ultimately feels taut and tight.
Rico Nasty will show you what mischief sounds like | Chris Richards | December 10, 2020 | Washington PostBraceway was amazed by the intensity of Bristow's glance, the tautness of his body, the harsh authority in his voice.
The Winning Clue | James Hay, Jr.
Dalgetty, poised in a nervous tautness that could explode into physical strength, felt a clutch of fear.
The Sensitive Man | Poul William AndersonThe stranger was a large schooner, and the tautness of the spars and rigging showed that she was in beautiful order.
With Clive in India | G. A. HentyShe had the same appearance now as then, the same tautness of body, the same flat, constrained tone.
No Clue | James HayTheir faces held a quiet tautness, and General Ohlmsted's hand, holding a cigar, was shaking a little.
Call Him Savage | John Pollard
British Dictionary definitions for taut
/ (tɔːt) /
tightly stretched; tense
showing nervous strain; stressed
mainly nautical in good order; neat
Origin of taut
1Derived 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
Browse