Originally, to tease; rally; later, to tease spitefully; reproach or upbraid with severe or insulting words, or by casting something in one's teeth; twit scornfully or insultingly.To censure, blame, or condemn for in a reproachful, scornful, or insulting manner; cast up; twit with: with a thing as object.Synonyms Ridicule, Chaff, Deride, Mock, Upbraid, Taunt, Flout, Twit. We may ridicule or chaff from mere sportiveness; we may ridicule, or upbraid with a reformatory purpose; the other words represent, and all may represent, an act that is unkind. All except mock imply the use of words. As to ridicule, see ludicrous, and banter, v. and n. Chaff, which is still somewhat colloquial, means to make fun of or tease, kindly or unkindly, by light, ironical, or satirical remarks or questions. Deride expresses a hard and contemptuous feeling: “derision is ill-humored and scornful; it is anger wearing the mask of ridicule” (C. J. Smith, Syn. Disc., p. 667). It is not always so severe as this quotation makes it. Mock in its strongest sense expresses the next degree beyond derision, but with less pretense of mirth (see imitate). We upbraid a person in the hope of making him feel his guilt and mend his ways, or for the relief that our feelings find in expression; the word is one degree weaker than taunt. To taunt is to press upon a person certain facts or accusations of a reproachful character unsparingly, for the purpose of annoying or shaming, and glorying in the effect of the insulting words: as, to taunt one with his failure. To flout, or flout at, is to mock or insult with energy or abruptness; flout is the strongest of these words. To twit is to taunt over small matters, or in a small way; twit bears the relation of a diminutive to taunt.n. Upbraiding words; bitter or sarcastic reproach; insulting invective.n. An object of reproach; an opprobrium.n. Synonyms See taunt, transitive verbNautical, high or tall: an epithet particularly noting masts of unusual height.
