taunt
To tease someone in a cruel way to upset them.
taunt in a sentence
- The older boys taunted him about his squeaky voice until a teacher stepped in.
- 'It is unkind to taunt the goalkeeper for one mistake,' said the coach firmly.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to taunt?
- Amock
- Bcomfort
- Cencourage
- Dpraise
Show the answer
A: mock. The other three mean the opposite of taunt.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to taunt?
- Amock
- Bpraise
- Ctease
- Dinsult
Show the answer
B: praise. The other three mean nearly the same as taunt.
Words that mean something similar
mock, insult, tease
Words that mean the opposite
praise, comfort, encourage
More words about speech & sound
- terse: Using very few words, often in an unfriendly way.
- tumult: A loud, confused noise made by an excited crowd.
- unison: Doing or saying something all together at exactly the same time.
- uproar: A storm of loud noise and angry shouting from lots of people.
- vouch: To say from your own knowledge that something is true or someone is good.
- vow: A serious promise you mean to keep forever.
- warble: To sing with a gentle, trembling sound like a bird.
- whimper: To make small, weak crying sounds.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test