taunting
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Expressing scorn or contempt through words or actions: Describes behavior, speech, or a person that is deliberately intended to mock, insult, or provoke someone by showing a lack of respect.
- Intended to cause humiliation or anger: Characterizes actions or remarks designed to make someone feel foolish or to challenge them in a scornful way.
Noun:
- The act of deriding or mocking someone: The action or behavior of taunting; verbal abuse intended to express contempt or ridicule.
- Aggravation through scornful criticism: The act of provoking or annoying someone by making mocking or jeering remarks.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- The team ignored the taunting chants from the opposing fans.
- She couldn't stand his taunting smile, which seemed to doubt her every word.
Noun:
- The constant taunting from his classmates made school a difficult place.
- The player received a penalty for his taunting of the referee.
Advanced Usage
- As a gerund (verbal noun): The "-ing" form can function purely as a noun.
- Taunting is a form of bullying.
- In a participial phrase: Used to describe a concurrent action or state.
- Taunting the guard, the prisoner hoped to get a reaction.
Variants and Related Words
- Taunt (verb/noun): The base form. To provoke or challenge with insulting remarks; an insulting remark.
- He tried to taunt me into an argument.
- Taunter (noun): A person who taunts.
- Tauntingly (adverb): In a taunting manner.
- He laughed tauntingly.
Synonyms
- Mocking: Showing scorn or contempt by imitation or derision.
- Jeering: Making rude and mocking remarks, typically in a loud voice.
- Derisive: Expressing contempt or ridicule.
- Sarcastic: Using irony to mock or convey contempt.
- Goading: Provoking or annoying to stimulate a reaction.
Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Taunting" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs. The base verb "taunt" is used.) - To taunt someone into (doing) something: To provoke someone through mockery to perform a specific action. - The older children taunted him into jumping off the high wall.
Related Idioms
- To be a taunt: To serve as a mocking challenge or reminder. (Less common as a fixed idiom; usually expressed contextually).
- The empty trophy case stood as a taunt to the underperforming team.
Adjective
- abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule
- derisive laughter
- a jeering crowd
- her mocking smile
- taunting shouts of `coward' and `sissy'
Noun
- aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing