taunt
1 Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
verb
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to provoke or deride with mockery, contempt, or criticism
-
to tease; tantalize
noun
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a jeering remark
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archaic the object of mockery
adjective
Synonym Usage
See ridicule.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tauntsimple
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tauntssimple
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have tauntedperfect
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has tauntedperfect
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am tauntingprogressive
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are tauntingprogressive
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is tauntingprogressive
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have been tauntingperfect progressive
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has been tauntingperfect progressive
Past
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tauntedsimple
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had tauntedperfect
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was tauntingprogressive
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were tauntingprogressive
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had been tauntingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of taunt1
First recorded in 1505–15; origin uncertain
Origin of taunt2
First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain
Explanation
A short list of people not to taunt: your big brother, nightclub bouncers, evil wizards. Taunts are insulting comments, and, unless you are a really, really fast runner, keep them to yourself. Taunting is often associated with large groups picking on an individual. A mob might call out a hated king from his castle with taunts and jeers. Bullying can also take the form of taunting — something that teachers, administrators, parents, and students are working together to stop.
Vocabulary lists containing taunt
List 4
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The Crossover
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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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.
Madalon refused to see the old hardware as a taunt.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
It's the cruel taunt thrown about by rival fans.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
The residents cheer and taunt and follow from a safe distance.
From Slate • Feb. 11, 2026
It’s a mean taunt that comes from a sibling, unaware that civilization is crumpling around him.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2025
And, somehow, Dad passed along to us the illusion that placid old Rena was a taunt ship.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
