troll

[ trohl ]

/ troʊl /

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See synonyms for: troll / trolled / trolling / troller on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to fish for or in with a moving line, working the line up or down with a rod, as in fishing for pike, or trailing the line behind a slow-moving boat.

to move (the line or bait) in doing this.

to cause to turn round and round; roll.

Informal.

to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages on (the internet) for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.
to upset or provoke (others) by posting such messages.
to make such provocative comments about (others) in public: The actress was trolled on late-night TV.

to sing or utter in a full, rolling voice.

to sing in the manner of a round or catch.

Obsolete. to hand around, as a bowl of liquor at table.

verb (used without object)

to fish by trolling.

to roll; turn round and round.

to move nimbly, as the tongue in speaking.

Informal.

to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.
to make such provocative comments in public.

to sing with a full, rolling voice; give forth full, rolling tones.

to be uttered or sounded in such tones.

noun

the act of trolling.

a lure used in trolling for fish.

the fishing line containing the lure and hook for use in trolling.

Informal.

a person who posts inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.
a person who makes such provocative comments in public.

a song whose parts are sung in succession; a round.

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Origin of troll

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English trollen “to roll, stroll,” from Middle French troller “to run here and there, ramble,” from Middle High German trollen “to walk or run with short steps”; defs. 4, 11, 17 are influenced by troll²

OTHER WORDS FROM troll

troller, nounun·trolled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH troll

trawl, troll

Words nearby troll

Trojan group, Trojan horse, Trojan War, troke, Troland, troll, trolley, trolley bus, trolley car, trolley dolly, trolleyed

Other definitions for troll (2 of 2)

troll²

[ trohl ]

/ troʊl /

noun

(in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernatural beings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes as dwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.

Slang. a person who lives or sleeps in a park or under a viaduct or bridge, as a derelict or poor person.

Origin of troll

First recorded in 1610–20; from Old Norse troll “demon, fiend”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT TROLL

What does troll mean?

A troll is someone who harasses other people online to try to get a negative reaction from them. To troll someone is to harass them.

The online troll is related to the trolls of legend and fiction, supernatural creatures that live in caves or other underground places. In such stories, trolls are monsters that are unfriendly to humans and sometimes kidnap them. The online sense of troll likens such people to monsters lurking and waiting for the chance to harass others.

As a verb, troll also means to fish along a moving line, such as a line that trails behind a moving boat. When you move the fishing line or bait on such a line, that too is to troll.

Example: I trolled my fishing line a little and ended up catching a big fish.

Where does troll come from?

The first records of the verb troll come from around 1350. It ultimately comes from the Middle High German trollen, meaning “to walk or run with short steps.” The first records of the noun troll come from around 1610. It comes from the Old Norse troll meaning “demon.”

In most discussions, most people will think of the monstrous creatures and people who act like them. Internet trolls are known to spread purposely false or inflammatory messages online to upset and mislead people. The best way to deal with online trolls is not to feed them. In other words, don’t respond to them, because that encourages them to continue behaving badly.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to troll?

troller (noun)
untrolled (adjective)

What are some synonyms for troll?

What are some words that often get used in discussing troll?

How is troll used in real life?

Troll has several meanings, but you’ll most likely see the harassment meaning used online.

I wish all you bots and trolls a pleasant weekend. I will continue to include what I want on my Twitter feed.

— Adam Boulton (@adamboultonTABB) May 22, 2020

I tried to make a selfie. I look like a bridge troll. So that why I don't do that. Also because it is lame. Ha

— christina applegate (@1capplegate) January 14, 2016

i am a troll 1st and a musician 2nd. priorities.

— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) April 16, 2019

Try using troll!

Is troll used correctly in the following sentence?

Some troll tried to get me riled up online today, but I just ignored it.

How to use troll in a sentence

Sometimes these answers are meant to clarify or add context, while other times creators will take on their bullies and trolls with their video responses.
TikTok’s new Q&A feature lets creators respond to fan questions using text or video|Sarah Perez|January 20, 2021|TechCrunch
Not surprisingly — and as Krzyzewski predicted — the trolls were soon out in force, claiming that Krzyzewski was reacting to the two losses.
Coach K is right: College football and basketball need their own commissioners|John Feinstein|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
While it’s helpful to have these held, it’s still often difficult for creators to have to deal with these comments at all, as online trolls can be unbelievably cruel.
YouTube introduces new feature to address toxic comments|Sarah Perez|December 3, 2020|TechCrunch
How the influential adviser went from right-wing troll to the driving force behind Trumpism.
Stephen Miller, explained|Sean Illing|October 7, 2020|Vox

The campaign draws on the spam-like behavior of bots and trolls, with the same or similar language posted repeatedly across social media.
Pro-Trump youth group enlists teens in secretive campaign likened to a ‘troll farm,’ prompting rebuke by Facebook and Twitter|Isaac Stanley-Becker|September 15, 2020|Washington Post
Oh, and the first press image they released was a pair of black dudes in tracksuits as a troll of sorts to NME.
The 14 Best Songs of 2014: Bobby Shmurda, Future Islands, Drake, and More|Marlow Stern|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lena Dunham has been (crazily) accused of “sexual abuse” by right-wing troll sites for a passage in her memoir.
Welcome to Generation Overshare: Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, and the Politics of Self-Disclosure|Marlow Stern|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But aside from making a professional troll a rich man, the Cohos did achieve their political goals.
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage|Arthur Chu|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The problem, as Weaver and Clark explained, is that this group drools at the opportunity to troll something like ReaganBook.
ReaganBook Is the Latest Conservative #Fail|Gideon Resnick|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And as far as trolls go, ESPN is like Jotnar, the gargantuan mountain troll wreaking havoc in the Trollhunter films.
ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Pricks|Marlow Stern|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ling had seemed so hairy, so misshapen, like a troll out of Gothic legends.
The Devil's Asteroid|Manly Wade Wellman
Her fright led to explanations and an expression of gratitude on the part of the troll-wife.
The Science of Fairy Tales|Edwin Sidney Hartland
The youths thought this sounded easy enough, so they went home with the troll to his castle.
The Olive Fairy Book|Various
One day, as he sat in his own room, he heard the voice of the old troll beneath his window talking to another troll.
The Olive Fairy Book|Various
It is not wonderful that both the cup and the beggar vanished; but we are to understand that the beggar was a troll.
The Science of Fairy Tales|Edwin Sidney Hartland

British Dictionary definitions for troll (1 of 2)

troll¹

/ (trəʊl) /

verb

angling

to draw (a baited line, etc) through the water, often from a boat
to fish (a stretch of water) by trolling
to fish (for) by trolling

to roll or cause to roll

archaic to sing (a refrain, chorus, etc) or (of a refrain, etc) to be sung in a loud hearty voice

(intr) British informal to walk or stroll

(intr) homosexual slang to stroll around looking for sexual partners; cruise

(intr) computing slang to post deliberately inflammatory articles on an internet discussion board

noun

the act or an instance of trolling

angling a bait or lure used in trolling, such as a spinner

computing slang a person who submits deliberately inflammatory articles to an internet discussion

Derived forms of troll

troller, noun

Word Origin for troll

C14: from Old French troller to run about; related to Middle High German trollen to run with short steps

British Dictionary definitions for troll (2 of 2)

troll²

/ (trəʊl) /

noun

(in Scandinavian folklore) one of a class of supernatural creatures that dwell in caves or mountains and are depicted either as dwarfs or as giants

Word Origin for troll

C19: from Old Norse: demon; related to Danish trold

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

troll

Origin of troll

OTHER WORDS FROM troll

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH troll

Words nearby troll

Other definitions for troll (2 of 2)

Origin of troll

MORE ABOUT TROLL

What does troll mean?

Where does troll come from?

Did you know … ?

How is troll used in real life?

Try using troll!

Words related to troll

How to use troll in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for troll (1 of 2)

Derived forms of troll

Word Origin for troll

British Dictionary definitions for troll (2 of 2)

Word Origin for troll