FLOUT
What does "FLOUT" mean?
To openly disregard a rule, law, or convention with contempt.
Meanings
- To defy or disobey a rule or custom openly and scornfully. The company flouted safety regulations for years before anyone noticed.
- To mock or treat with contempt. He flouted their warnings and pressed ahead regardless. formal
Did you know?
- 'Flout' is one of the most-confused verbs in English: you flout (defy) a rule but flaunt (show off) a diamond, and mixing them up - 'flaunting the law' - is so common that usage guides single it out as a classic error.
Word origin
From late Middle English, perhaps from Middle Dutch 'fluiten', meaning to play the flute, hence to whistle or jeer at someone; the sense of open mockery hardened into defying rules.
Remember it
You flOUT a rule by throwing it OUT - flout literally contains 'out'.
A little poem
He flouted the sign and walked on the grass-
the lawn kept the rule; he just left it to pass.
couplet
Wordplay
- He thought he was flaunting his wealth, but with that fake watch he was really flouting the truth.
What it teaches
To flout a rule is easy; to be right about why it deserved it is the hard part.
Quick facts
What does FLOUT mean?
To openly disregard a rule, law, or convention with contempt.
Is FLOUT a valid word?
Yes — FLOUT is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is FLOUT?
FLOUT has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does FLOUT come from?
From late Middle English, perhaps from Middle Dutch 'fluiten', meaning to play the flute, hence to whistle or jeer at someone; the sense of open mockery hardened into defying rules.
What can FLOUT teach us?
To flout a rule is easy; to be right about why it deserved it is the hard part.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.