adjective
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tightly stretched; tense
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showing nervous strain; stressed
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nautical in good order; neat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of taut
1275–1325; earlier taught, Middle English tought; akin to tow 1
Explanation
Taut means tight rather than slack. The tightrope ought to be taut and not dangling down by the lion cage. It sounds like the word "taught" and means stretched tight, like a rope, muscles, or even nerves. It's nice to have a taut body with tight muscles, but not so great to have a taut mind — tightly wound and tense. "The Olympic gymnast's taut body was something she worked hard for, but she gave a taut reply to reporters who asked her so many questions about her past, which she wished to keep a secret." Taut is derived from an Old English word, meaning basically "to pull." If you're fishing, you're happy when your line becomes taut, because there's probably a fish pulling at it. Or an old boot.
Vocabulary lists containing taut
List 4
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"Beowulf," Vocabulary from the epic poem
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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.
Taut and suspenseful, Daniel Roher’s film plays more like a John le Carré thriller than a true story.
From Seattle Times • May 23, 2022
Taut, gory and tragic, ”Downfall” explores Hitler’s human side and the hold he had over his followers, which makes him even more of a cautionary monster.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2020
Taut, sparse and exposed, listening to Clouds is a magical, immersive experience.
From The Guardian • Aug. 15, 2019
Taut yellow strings connected the tail fins to the grim mouths of sea bream, their silver backs curved like commas.
From New York Times • May 22, 2019
Taut wires connected their tops, each tower with every other, so that the wires were a lacework above the small disc buildings.
From Wandl the Invader by Cummings, Ray
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.
