lout
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used with or without object)
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of lout1
First recorded in 1540–50; perhaps special use of lout 2
Origin of lout2
1250–1300; Middle English louten, Old English lūtan; cognate with Old Norse lūta; akin to little
Explanation
A lout is a clumsy, awkward oaf. If you want to insult the person who just stepped on your toes and belched, say, "Watch where you're going, you lout!" Lout originally meant a bumbling, awkward fellow, both annoying and pitiful. But if you call someone a lout today, you're also implying that he's not only stupid and clumsy, but that he's no good. Lout is almost never used for women, because the word has an implication of being bad to women — not abusive so much as selfish. If everyone thinks your boyfriend is a lowdown, disgusting lout, you might want to try dating someone else.
Vocabulary lists containing lout
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Odyssey" by Homer (Part One)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scott Lout, World Vision's national director, said that after two decades in Congo, donors were impatient to shift from emergency humanitarian responses to forward-looking development programs.
From Reuters • Dec. 14, 2014
Lout In Madison, Wis., after his eleventh dancing lesson, Farmer Seymour Moe, 41, stood in a corner of the dancing school and wept because he could not dance.
From Time Magazine Archive
C. E. Wittschiebe South China Union Mission of Seventh-Day Adventists Kalaw, Burma Caption Sirs: Among the possible captions for your pictures of the Axiscariots, how long must we wait for "Lout of the Night?"
From Time Magazine Archive
"The Brat," his father had called him in his childhood, "The Lout," when he had grown big-limbed and clumsy.
From The Shuttle by Burnett, Frances Hodgson
However, her performance was as fine as the dress, and she looked quite the Z�LIE-ZERLINA, so fascinating to the Lord and the Lout.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, May 16, 1891 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
