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Synonyms

taunt

1 American  
[tawnt, tahnt] / tɔnt, tɑnt /

verb (used with object)

  1. to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock.

    Synonyms:
    insult, flout, upbraid, censure

  2. to provoke by taunts; twit.

    Synonyms:
    jeer

noun

  1. an insulting gibe or sarcasm; scornful reproach or challenge.

    Synonyms:
    ridicule, censure, derision, insult, scoff

  2. Obsolete. an object of insulting gibes or scornful reproaches.

taunt 2 American  
[tawnt, tahnt] / tɔnt, tɑnt /

adjective

Nautical.

  1. tall, as a mast.

taunt 1 British  
/ tɔːnt /

verb

  1. to provoke or deride with mockery, contempt, or criticism

  2. to tease; tantalize

"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

noun

  1. a jeering remark

  2. archaic the object of mockery

"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
taunt 2 British  
/ tɔːnt /

adjective

  1. nautical (of the mast or masts of a sailing vessel) unusually tall

"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

Related Words

See ridicule.

Other Word Forms

  • taunter noun
  • taunting adjective
  • tauntingly adverb
  • untaunted adjective

Etymology

Origin of taunt1

First recorded in 1505–15; origin uncertain

Origin of taunt2

First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain

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.

The residents cheer and taunt and follow from a safe distance.

From Slate • Feb. 11, 2026

Then, Anthropic unveiled Super Bowl ads that taunt rival OpenAI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

One thing's for sure: "You Can't See Me" might be the taunt Cena gives Gunther, but the last fight will be seen and remembered by many.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

Especially when a proper taunt might give you an edge, or at least a good laugh.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025

‘You won’t find it in your books,’ my brother would playfully taunt me as he prepared to go to a party by freezing the crest of the wave in his hair with sticky pomade.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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.