taut

[ tawt ]

/ tɔt /

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See synonyms for: taut / tautness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, taut·er, taut·est.

tightly drawn; tense; not slack.

emotionally or mentally strained or tense: taut nerves.

in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

OTHER WORDS FOR taut

3 trim, trig, spruce, smart.

See synonyms for taut on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of taut

1275–1325; earlier taught,Middle English tought; akin to tow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM taut

tautly, adverbtautness, nounun·taut, adjectiveun·taut·ly, adverb

un·taut·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH taut

taught, taut , taunt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use taut in a sentence

Rare is the first book that reveals the writer fully formed, the muscles and sinews of her sentences firm and taut, the voice distinctly her own — think Imbolo Mbue’s “Behold the Dreamers” or Casey Cep’s “Furious Hours.”
‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House,’ by Cherie Jones, is a stunning debut|Hamilton Cain|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
Squat to grasp the ends of the towel on either side of you, then raise into a half-squat with good form until the towel is taut, keeping your arms straight and at your sides.
How to Train Power for the Lower Body|Hayden Carpenter|January 27, 2021|Outside Online
To create straight lines, the Nazca people would pull a cord taut between two stakes, then etch the paths by scraping away dark rock to reveal a lighter layer beneath.
The famous Nazca lines aren’t mysterious—but they are ingenious|Sara Kiley Watson|January 3, 2021|Popular-Science
Yet, for all of Rico’s over-the-topness, “Nightmare Vacation” ultimately feels taut and tight.
Rico Nasty will show you what mischief sounds like|Chris Richards|December 10, 2020|Washington Post

Braceway was amazed by the intensity of Bristow's glance, the tautness of his body, the harsh authority in his voice.
The Winning Clue|James Hay, Jr.
Dalgetty, poised in a nervous tautness that could explode into physical strength, felt a clutch of fear.
The Sensitive Man|Poul William Anderson
The stranger was a large schooner, and the tautness of the spars and rigging showed that she was in beautiful order.
With Clive in India|G. A. Henty
She had the same appearance now as then, the same tautness of body, the same flat, constrained tone.
No Clue|James Hay
Their faces held a quiet tautness, and General Ohlmsted's hand, holding a cigar, was shaking a little.
Call Him Savage|John Pollard

British Dictionary definitions for taut

taut

/ (tɔːt) /

adjective

tightly stretched; tense

showing nervous strain; stressed

mainly nautical in good order; neat

Derived forms of taut

tautly, adverbtautness, noun

Word Origin for taut

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

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

taut

OTHER WORDS FOR taut

Origin of taut

OTHER WORDS FROM taut

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH taut

Words related to taut

How to use taut in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for taut

Derived forms of taut

Word Origin for taut