Taunts

/tɔːnts/ verb

Definition

To make fun of someone repeatedly or provoke them with mean words or actions meant to upset them.

Etymology

From Old French 'tant' and 'tanter' meaning 'to try' or 'to test,' which evolved into the meaning of testing someone's patience with insults. Used in English since the 1500s.

Kelly Says

Psychological research shows that responding calmly to taunts actually defuses them—bullies lose interest because they wanted an emotional reaction, so the best defense is truly to ignore them!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.