troll

¹

[ trohl ]

verb (used with object)

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

   In September, boat anglers were starting to troll the river for salmon.

2. to move (the line or bait) continuously through the water while fishing, as from a moving boat:

   As his outboard chugged past the island, he trolled his line out fifty or sixty feet behind.

3. to browse through (the internet, a collection, etc.) in search of something:

   She spends her downtime trolling websites for holiday deals.

4. Informal.
   1. to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages on (the internet) for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.
   2. to upset or provoke (others) by posting such messages.
   3. to make such provocative comments about (others) in public:

      The actress was trolled on late-night TV.

5. to sing or utter in a full, rolling voice:

   Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.

6. to sing in the manner of a round or catch.
7. Archaic. to cause to turn round and round; roll.
8. Obsolete. to hand around, as a bowl of liquor at table.

verb (used without object)

1. to fish by trolling:

   We spent the day trolling for muskies.

2. to browse through the internet, a collection, etc., in search of something:

   I trolled through my photos for hours to find the best shots of the two of us.

3. Informal.
   1. to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response:

      He props up his fragile ego by trolling on game sites, putting everybody else down.

   2. to make such provocative comments in public.
4. Archaic. to sing with a full, rolling voice; give forth full, rolling tones.
5. Archaic. to be uttered or sounded in such tones.
6. Archaic. to roll; turn round and round.
7. Archaic. to move nimbly, as the tongue in speaking.

noun

1. the act of trolling for fish.
2. a lure used in trolling for fish.
3. the fishing line containing the lure and hook for use in trolling.
4. Informal.
   1. a person who posts inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.
   2. a person who makes such provocative comments in public.
5. Archaic. a song whose parts are sung in succession; a round.

troll

²

[ trohl ]

noun

1. (in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernatural beings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes as dwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.
2. Slang. a person who lives or sleeps in a park or under a viaduct or bridge, as a derelict or poor person.

troll

¹

/ trəʊl /

noun

1. (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

troll

²

/ trəʊl /

verb

1. angling
   1. to draw (a baited line, etc) through the water, often from a boat
   2. to fish (a stretch of water) by trolling
   3. to fish (for) by trolling
2. to roll or cause to roll
3. archaic.
   to sing (a refrain, chorus, etc) or (of a refrain, etc) to be sung in a loud hearty voice
4. informal.
   intr to walk or stroll
5. slang:homosexual.
   intr to stroll around looking for sexual partners; cruise
6. slang.
   intr computing to post deliberately inflammatory articles on an internet discussion board

noun

1. the act or an instance of trolling
2. angling a bait or lure used in trolling, such as a spinner
3. slang.
   computing a person who submits deliberately inflammatory articles to an internet discussion

Derived Forms

• ˈtroller, noun

Other Words From

• troll·er noun
• un·trolled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of troll¹

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”; troll ¹defs 4, 11, 19 are influenced by troll ²( def )

Origin of troll²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of troll¹

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

Origin of troll²

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

Example Sentences

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.

From TechCrunch

Not surprisingly — and as Krzyzewski predicted — the trolls were soon out in force, claiming that Krzyzewski was reacting to the two losses.

From 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.

From TechCrunch

How the influential adviser went from right-wing troll to the driving force behind Trumpism.

From Vox

The campaign draws on the spam-like behavior of bots and trolls, with the same or similar language posted repeatedly across social media.

From 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.

From The Daily Beast

Lena Dunham has been (crazily) accused of “sexual abuse” by right-wing troll sites for a passage in her memoir.

From The Daily Beast

But aside from making a professional troll a rich man, the Cohos did achieve their political goals.

From The Daily Beast

The problem, as Weaver and Clark explained, is that this group drools at the opportunity to troll something like ReaganBook.

From The Daily Beast

And as far as trolls go, ESPN is like Jotnar, the gargantuan mountain troll wreaking havoc in the Trollhunter films.

From The Daily Beast

Ling had seemed so hairy, so misshapen, like a troll out of Gothic legends.

From Project Gutenberg

Her fright led to explanations and an expression of gratitude on the part of the troll-wife.

From Project Gutenberg

The youths thought this sounded easy enough, so they went home with the troll to his castle.

From Project Gutenberg

One day, as he sat in his own room, he heard the voice of the old troll beneath his window talking to another troll.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not wonderful that both the cup and the beggar vanished; but we are to understand that the beggar was a troll.

From Project Gutenberg

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?

• fisher
• trawler

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

• bridge
• fishing
• line
• folklore
• internet
• harassment

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.