taut

[tawt]

adjective

tauter, tautest 

1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack.

2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense.

   taut nerves.

3. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

   Synonyms: smart, spruce, trig, trim

taut

/ tɔːt /

adjective

1. tightly stretched; tense

2. showing nervous strain; stressed

3. nautical in good order; neat

Other Word Forms

• tautly adverb
• tautness noun
• untaut adjective
• untautly adverb
• untautness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of taut¹

1275–1325; earlier taught, Middle English tought; akin to tow ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of taut¹

C14 tought; probably related to Old English togian to _tow ¹

Example Sentences

The webs snap taut as the crew sews both sides of the ship together.

Read more on Literature

At once the balloon stretched taut, straining at the ropes.

Read more on Literature

“No Other Choice” exhibits spasms of taut thriller and family melodrama, but its bare-knuckled satire, sprinkled with slapstick, plays as Park’s funniest film.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For another, there’s no way this taut, wrinkle-free woman is 45 years old, as her many magazine profiles claim.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The rhythm section remained taut and rigid—live musicians mimicking the curt slap of hip-hop.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• tense