• • (RP) IPA: /tɔːnt/
  • (America) IPA: /tɔnt/
    • (cot-caught) IPA: /tɑnt/

From Middle French tanter, variant of Old French tempter.

taunt (taunts, present participle taunting; simple past and past participle taunted)

1. To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.

• French: narguer
• German: verspotten, hänseln, Spott treiben mit
• Italian: schernire, dileggiare, irridere
• Portuguese: zombar, provocar
• Russian: насмеха́ться
• Spanish: mofarse, pullar, sacar cachita (Peru)

taunt (plural taunts)

1. A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene vi], page 100 ↗, column 1:

     VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.

• French: sarcasme
• German: Spott, höhnische Bemerkung, spöttische Bemerkung, Stichelei
• Italian: scherno, dileggio
• Portuguese: zombaria
• Russian: ко́лкость
• Spanish: mofa, pulla, cachita (colloquial, Peru)

Compare Old French tant, French tant, Latin tantus. See ataunt.

taunt

1. (obsolete, nautical) Very high or tall.

Perhaps a variant of Daunt.

1. Surname.