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tut-tut

American  
[tuht-tuht] / ˈtʌtˈtʌt /

interjection

tut-tutted, tut-tutting

  1. tut.

tut-tut British  
/ ˈtʌtˈtʌt /

interjection

  1. an exclamation of mild reprimand, disapproval, or surprise

"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

verb

  1. (intr) to express disapproval by the exclamation of "tut-tut"

"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

noun

  1. the act of tut-tutting

"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

Etymology

Origin of tut-tut

First recorded in 1585–95

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.

Tut tut, if only you could flog an app.

From The Verge • Nov. 3, 2015

Tut tut, Rihanna – see what happens when you don't say: "Hi"?

From The Guardian • May 24, 2014

"Tut, tut," said Colonel House, "You are a long way from being dead : you are one of the greatest living men."

From Time Magazine Archive

Tut, tut, replied De Gaulle reassuringly, "France has no intention of putting Germany into a position where such a choice would be necessary."

From Time Magazine Archive

“Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you’ll get caughty.”

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

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.