What does "taunt" mean?

A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery.

What is a synonym for "taunt"?

Common synonyms include: accuse, affront, allege, annoy, arraign, article.

/tɔːnt/ adj, name, noun, verb

adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Noun

1
A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery.
"VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo."
2
aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing wordnet

Verb

1
To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner. transitive
2
harass with persistent criticism or carping wordnet

Adjective

1
Very high or tall. obsolete
"the great ships, for want of ſufficient masts, will lose the advantages the taunt masts would procure"

Proper Noun

"Don't taunt him. He's liable to fight back eventually."

Etymology 1

From Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

Etymology 2

Compare Old French tant (“so great”), French tant (“so much”), Latin tantus (“of such size, so great, so much”). See ataunt.

Etymology 3

Perhaps a variant of Daunt.