taunt 1 of 2

verb

ˈtȯnt How to pronounce taunt (audio)
Definition of tauntnext
as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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taunt

2 of 2

noun

as in jeer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word taunt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of taunt are deride, mock, and ridicule. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

When could deride be used to replace taunt?

The words deride and taunt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

When would mock be a good substitute for taunt?

Although the words mock and taunt have much in common, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

In what contexts can ridicule take the place of taunt?

The synonyms ridicule and taunt are sometimes interchangeable, but ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taunt
Verb
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness. —Arkansas Online, 22 May 2025 Noted, But Not Personal After the Pacers eliminated the Knicks last season, Myles Turner went viral for parading through New York City and taunting Knicks fans. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025
Noun
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the league had not publicly identified who the taunts were directed toward or who made the allegations. —Doug Feinberg, Baltimore Sun, 18 May 2025 Ramsey’s song has become popular at a time where videos of MAGA voters upset or hurt by Trump’s policy decisions tend to go viral, with comments often filled with taunts or jokes at their expense. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
  1. tease
  2. jeer
  3. mock
  4. sneer
  5. insult
  6. diss
  7. gibe
  8. quip
Verb
  • For example, in an exclusive with Vanity Fair, Chu teases two brand new songs written by original Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz that will be featured in the film.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 4 June 2025
  • Richard first teased their move to his wife’s native Spain in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, despite having lived in the United States since they got married in 2018.
    — Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 4 June 2025
Definition of tease
Noun
  • Congresswoman faces jeers while defending Trump tax policies.
    — , FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025
  • More news to know now Boos and jeers over Trump's big tax bill filled a Nebraska town hall.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 May 2025
Definition of jeer
Verb
  • Gervais also mocked himself during his acceptance speech.
    — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 31 May 2025
  • A week later, Rogan mocked Hawass and weighed in again on skeptical theories over who built the pyramids.
    — Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Definition of mock
Noun
  • His voice—typically pitched between a bellow and a sneer—was instantly recognizable to the couple that night.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 3 May 2025
  • In a movie climate where remakes tend to draw sneers of derision and claims that people have just gotten too lazy to invent anything new, Disney’s remakes of its own products are always a chief target.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of sneer
Noun
  • These immigrants in Florida find Trump’s offer ‘an insult’ Many are skeptical.
    — South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025
  • The master of appropriating insults just can’t do anything to make TACO his — Trump Always Cares Outstandingly just doesn’t have the same ring.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Enter the freestyle diss track round, where each contestant had to deliver a rap targeting none other than Sam Reich himself — accompanied by a live beatboxer named Antonio.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Last Friday, another short video was shared on his Instagram, this one featuring a snippet of his own diss.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of diss
Noun
  • Roy Keane’s ‘prawn sandwiches’ jibe had interesting origins.
    — Michael Walker, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025
  • But even some Republicans weren’t happy with the nasty gibe.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of gibe
Noun
  • This is a straight-up revenge saga, with Statham as a father out to wreak havoc on the men who killed his teenage son, and the movie, after a jokey stage-setting intro, mostly eschews Ritchie’s usual quips and one-liners.
    — Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025
  • Her Liesl is a firecracker who has no qualms about going toe to toe with her powerful father—hilariously deadpan, no-nonsense, and with all the best quips, but also human, with a real heart, conscience, and crises of faith.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 18 May 2025
Definition of quip

Browse Nearby Words

taught
taunt
taunted
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Cite this Entry

“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of taunt for Spanish Speakers

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