Flout

//flaʊt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The act by which something is flouted; violation of a law.

    "A flout is when someone deliberately and ostentatiously contravenes a maxim."

  2. 2
    A mockery or insult.
Verb
  1. 1
    To express contempt for (laws, rules, etc.) by word or action. transitive

    "The manoeuvres of Microsoft and HP appear to comply with the letter of the regulations, even if they flout their spirit."

  2. 2
    treat with contemptuous disregard wordnet
  3. 3
    To scorn. archaic, transitive

    "Yet all ' s not worth a pin, But could not get her; Phillida flouts me. Dick had her to the Vine"

  4. 4
    laugh at with contempt and derision wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
jeerjeerscoffscoffabaseaffront

Example

More examples

"This allowed the company to flout the law."

Etymology

Perhaps from Middle English flouten (“to play the flute”); compare with Dutch fluiten.

Related phrases

flout at

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.