tart

[ tahrt ]

/ tɑrt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: tart / tartness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, tart·er, tart·est.

sharp to the taste; sour or acid: Tart apples are best for pie.

sharp in character, spirit, or expression; cutting; biting: a tart remark.

OTHER WORDS FOR tart

1 astringent, acrid, piquant.

2 sarcastic, barbed, caustic, acerbic, acrimonious.

See synonyms for tart on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR tart

1 sweet, sugary, bland, mellow.

2 sweet, kind, gentle, gracious, benign.

See antonyms for tart on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of tart

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English teart “sharp, rough”; akin to Dutch tarten “to defy,” Middle High German traz “defiance”

OTHER WORDS FROM tart

tartish, adjectivetart·ish·ly, adverbtartly, adverbtartness, noun

Other definitions for tart (2 of 2)

tart²

[ tahrt ]

/ tɑrt /

noun

a small pie filled with cooked fruit or other sweetened preparation, usually having no top crust.

a covered pie containing fruit or the like.

Slang. a prostitute or promiscuous woman.

Verb Phrases

tart up, Slang. to adorn, dress, or decorate, especially in a flamboyant manner: The old restaurant was tarted up to look like a Viennese café.

Origin of tart

1350–1400; 1905–10 for def. 3; Middle English tarte<Middle French; compare Medieval Latin tarta

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use tart in a sentence

The rewards might be a warm-spiced cabernet franc from the Loire Valley and loose coffee pastry cream puddled in a chocolate tart brushed with espresso syrup.
Tom Sietsema’s 8 favorite places to eat right now|Tom Sietsema|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
Shortly after that, I ended up with leftover rutabaga, so I peeled, diced and roasted it — it takes a lot longer to get tender than butternut squash — and filled the tart with that root vegetable along with grated Gruyere, olives and dried rosemary.
Wrap leftover roasted root vegetables in phyllo for a quick, crispy galette|Ann Maloney|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
I made a tart with butternut squash, kalamata olives, feta and thyme as McKenna directed.
Wrap leftover roasted root vegetables in phyllo for a quick, crispy galette|Ann Maloney|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
I’ve stored the phyllo and am taking a break from the tart, but then I was eyeing some near-their-expiration red potatoes in my kitchen and thinking I’ll make it again, maybe with roasted potato, fontina and chives.
Wrap leftover roasted root vegetables in phyllo for a quick, crispy galette|Ann Maloney|January 12, 2021|Washington Post

Now, this quick tart preparation will likely pop into my head anytime I have leftover roasted root vegetables.
Wrap leftover roasted root vegetables in phyllo for a quick, crispy galette|Ann Maloney|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
Some dried cranberries for tartness and a sprinkle of sea salt make these my all-time favorite cookies.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies|Ina Garten|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their tartness and strictness and miserliness had made the life of the girls in the school uncomfortable for some time.
Billie Bradley on Lighthouse Island|Janet D. Wheeler
The tartness of the apricots gives a flavor that is pleasing to most persons.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
"Perhaps I did, and perhaps I did not," she answered, matching his tartness.
The Quickening|Francis Lynde
"Thank you, I'm a long way outside of that class," retorted Mr. Emerson with some tartness.
Ethel Morton at Chautauqua|Mabell S. C. Smith
"Never mind our driving; we have had a fine time," Isabel retorted, with pettish tartness.
From the Car Behind|Eleanor M. Ingram

British Dictionary definitions for tart (1 of 3)

tart¹

/ (tɑːt) /

noun

a pastry case often having no top crust, with a sweet or savoury filling

Word Origin for tart

C14: from Old French tarte, of uncertain origin; compare Medieval Latin tarte

British Dictionary definitions for tart (2 of 3)

tart²

/ (tɑːt) /

adjective

(of a flavour, food, etc) sour, acid, or astringent

cutting, sharp, or caustica tart remark

Derived forms of tart

tartish, adjectivetartishly, adverbtartly, adverbtartness, noun

Word Origin for tart

Old English teart rough; related to Dutch tarten to defy, Middle High German traz defiance

British Dictionary definitions for tart (3 of 3)

tart³

/ (tɑːt) /

noun

informal a promiscuous woman, esp a prostitute: often a term of abuseSee also tart up

Derived forms of tart

tarty, adjective

Word Origin for tart

C19: shortened from sweetheart

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

tart

OTHER WORDS FOR tart

OPPOSITES FOR tart

Origin of tart

OTHER WORDS FROM tart

Other definitions for tart (2 of 2)

Origin of tart

Words related to tart

How to use tart in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tart (1 of 3)

Word Origin for tart

British Dictionary definitions for tart (2 of 3)

Derived forms of tart

Word Origin for tart

British Dictionary definitions for tart (3 of 3)

Derived forms of tart

Word Origin for tart