What does "taut" mean?
To make taut; to tauten, to tighten.
Taut
/tɔːt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make taut; to tauten, to tighten.
- Grammar: taut is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: tight, all ataunto, anxious, apprehensive.
- Useful contrasts: flabby, flaccid, floppy.
- Usage evidence: The hairs on the violin bow should not be too taut.
How to use "taut"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "taut" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "taut" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "taut" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "taut" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "taut" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tight" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "taut", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make taut; to tauten, to tighten. transitive
"The machine is operated by a double friction drum hoist. From the rear drum a steel cable, called the tension cable, leads to a set of fall blocks attached to the mast pole. These blocks afford a means for slackening and tauting the track cable, one end of which is supported by the fall blocks and the other fastened to a "dead man" or other suitable anchorage planted in the bank of the pit opposite the dumping point."
Adjective
- 1 Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight. also, figuratively
"The hawser was as taut as a bowstring, and the current so strong she pulled upon her anchor. All around the hull, in the blackness, the rippling current bubbled and chattered like a little mountain stream."
- 2 Not flabby; firm, toned; (of a person) having a lean, strong body. usually
"I watched him from the side as he strode along. His walk was quite different; his face too looked tauter."
- 3 Containing only relevant parts; brief and controlled. usually
"If he curbs his swing a little and gets something crisper and tauter in his methods he may yet be very good."
- 4 Experiencing anxiety or stress. figuratively
"His outward appearance was calm, but inside he was very taut."
- 5 Neat and well-disciplined; (by extension) efficient and in order. usually
"[O]ur friend was a hearty toper in the days of his Whiggery, but no sooner turned one of the tautest of Tories, than he took to the tea-pot. It seems a thing against nature."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Strong; uncompromising.
"Yet the 2016 Éxilé rosé from Lise et Bertrand Jousset in the Loire Valley, made mostly of gamay, was yeasty let light and lithe, while the 2016 Indigeno from Ancarani in Emilia-Romagna, made of trebbiano, was taut and earthy."
Adjective
- 1 pulled or drawn tight wordnet
- 2 subjected to great tension; stretched tight wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The hairs on the violin bow should not be too taut."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "taut"?
Common synonyms include: tight, all ataunto, anxious, apprehensive, ataunt, bungup and bilge-free.
How do you use "taut" in a sentence?
The hairs on the violin bow should not be too taut.
How do you pronounce "taut"?
Pronounced /tɔːt/.
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English taught [and other forms], Early Middle English tohte, towehte (“strained, stretched; distended; tight; firm”), probably from tough, touth, touʒth, toʒt (“powerful, strong; fierce, violent; not tender, tough; hardy, resilient; steadfast, stout; difficult to do or endure”) and possibly influenced by togen, towen, past participle of ten (“to extend, stretch out; to drag, haul, pull, tow, tug”) (modern English tee (“(obsolete) to draw, lead; to draw away; to go, proceed”)), or directly from its etymon Old English tēon (“to drag, draw, pull”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull”)) The word may be related to thight (“(dialectal) compact, dense; close-fitting, tight”) and tight; and is cognate with Scots tacht, taght (“taut”). The verb is probably derived from the adjective.