Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who sells advice about gambling or speculation: A "tout" is someone, especially at a racetrack, who offers tips or predictions on races or other gambling events, often for a fee.
   • A person who advertises for customers in an especially brazen or aggressive way: A "tout" is someone who solicits business in a persistent, loud, or obtrusive manner.
   • A ticket scalper: A "tout" is someone who buys tickets to events with the intention of reselling them at a higher price for profit.

2. Verb:

   • To show off; to boast about: To "tout" something is to praise it highly, often in an attempt to draw attention to it.
   • To advertise or promote in strongly positive terms: To "tout" is to attempt to persuade people of the merits or value of something through enthusiastic promotion.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The police warned tourists about touts offering fake tickets outside the stadium.
  • He made a living as a racing tout, selling tips to gamblers.
• Verb:
  • The company touted its new software as the fastest on the market.
  • She's always touting her son's academic achievements to anyone who will listen.

Advanced Usage

• "to tout for business": to actively and aggressively seek customers.
  • After the conference, representatives were outside the hall touting for business.
• "to be touted as": to be publicly praised or promoted as being a particular thing.
  • The new policy was touted as a major step forward for environmental protection.

Variants and Related Words

• Touter (noun): An alternative, less common form of the noun "tout."
• Touting (gerund/noun): The act of promoting something aggressively or selling tickets illegally.
  • The illegal touting of concert tickets is a problem.

Synonyms

• Noun (advisor): Tipster, tipster.
• Noun (promoter): Hawker, huckster, solicitor.
• Verb (promote): Praise, extol, promote, hype, plug.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions

• Tout around (less common): To try to sell or promote something to various people.
  • He's been touting his idea around to different investors.

Related Idioms

• "To be the touted one": To be the thing or person that is being heavily promoted. (This is a constructed phrase based on the verb's usage).
  • Among all the new smartphones, this model is the touted one this year.

Noun

1. one who sells advice about gambling or speculation (especially at the racetrack)
2. someone who advertises for customers in an especially brazen way
3. someone who buys tickets to an event in order to resell them at a profit

Verb

1. show off
2. advertize in strongly positive terms
   • This product was touted as a revolutionary invention