English French Spanish More dictionaries More

Definition of 'taut'

Word Frequency

taut

(tɔːt )

Word forms: comparative tauter , superlative tautest

1. adjective

Something that is taut is stretched very tight.

When muscles are taut or cold there is more chance of injury or strain.

The clothes line is pulled taut and secured.

Synonyms: tight, stretched, rigid, tightly stretched More Synonyms of taut

2. graded adjective

If a person or their body is taut, they are very lean with firm muscles.

That summer she had shed the weight gained during pregnancy, her body was trim and taut.

3. adjective

If someone has a taut expression, they look very worried and tense.

Ben sat up quickly, his face taut and terrified.

Little by little she lost the taut, strained air of perpetual anxiety.

4. graded adjective

If you describe a piece of writing or a film as taut, you mean that it is good because it is exciting and has no unnecessary details.

[approval]

...Eric Rochant's 'Aux yeux du monde', a taut thriller about the kidnapping of a school bus.

Synonyms: concise, terse, succinct, sharp More Synonyms of taut

More Synonyms of taut

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

You may also like

Language Lover's

Language Lover's

French Translation of

French Translation of

Word of the day: astrobleme

Word of the day:

Hindi Translation of

Hindi Translation of

Word Frequency

taut in British English

(tɔːt )

adjective

1.

tightly stretched; tense

2.

showing nervous strain; stressed

3. mainly nautical

in good order; neat

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Derived forms

tautly (ˈtautly)

adverb

tautness (ˈtautness)

noun

Word origin

C14 tought; probably related to Old English togian to tow1

Word Frequency

taut in American English

(tɔt )

adjective

1.

tightly stretched

said as of a rope

2.

showing strain; tense

a taut smile

3.

tidy, well-disciplined, efficient, etc.

a taut ship

SIMILAR WORDS: tight

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Derived forms

tautly (ˈtautly)

adverb

tautness (ˈtautness)

noun

Word origin

ME toght, tight, firm, prob. < pp. of togen (< OE togian), to pull, tow1

Word Frequency

taut in American English

(tɔt)

adjectiveWord forms: -er, -est

1.

tightly drawn; tense; not slack

2.

emotionally or mentally strained or tense

taut nerves

3.

in good order or condition; tidy; neat

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Derived forms

tautly

adverb

tautness

noun

Word origin

[1275–1325; earlier taught, ME tought; akin to tow1]

Examples of 'taut' in a sentence
taut

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

This looks like a taut, low-key thriller that could well be a massive hit.The reflected light of the big screen plays on his taut and pinched face with the burning eyes.Ensemble scenes are taut, tense and terrifying.My body goes taut, my breath catches.She looked nice and taut and fresh, but notably inexpensive.On the programme, you can tell by their taut faces how uncomfortable the participants feel.A taut and tense thriller so polished you can see your face in it.A daily fix can leave your face taut and looking washed out.Leaning against the fireplace, his body seemed less taut and a bit of colour crept back into his cheeks.The removal of this all too often leaves our faces feeling taut, but lemon can restore this necessary acid balance.

Show more...

COBUILD Collocations
taut

Trends of
taut

View usage for:

In other languages
taut

British English: taut ADJECTIVE /tɔːt/

Something that is taut is stretched very tight.

When muscles are taut or cold there is more chance of injury or strain.

American English: taut /ˈtɔt/
Brazilian Portuguese: esticado
Chinese: 紧绷的
European Spanish: tenso
French: tendu
German: straff
Italian: teso
Japanese: ピンと張られた
Korean: 팽팽한
European Portuguese: esticado
Latin American Spanish: tenso
Thai: ตึง

Translate your text for free

Browse alphabetically
taut

Related terms of
taut

Source

Definition of taut from the Collins English Dictionary

New from Collins

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

horse or mule?

Which version is correct?

eat like a horse eat like a mule

black or green?

Which version is correct?

black and blue green and blue

shirt or trousers?

Which version is correct?

wear the shirt wear the trousers

stomach or throat?

Which version is correct?

have a frog in your stomach have a frog in your throat

red or white?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

red

white

a herring

Your score:

Jun 26, 2021

Word of the day

astrobleme

a mark on the earth's surface, usually circular , formed by a large ancient meteorite impact

SEE FULL DEFINITION

SEE PREVIOUS WORDS

Latest Word Submissions

festy Jun 23, 2021

teachable moment Jun 23, 2021

brute force attack Jun 23, 2021

threenager Jun 23, 2021

View More Submit

World Refugee Day

Sunday 20th June 2021 marks World Refugee Day, an initiative by the UN which highlights the power of inclusion and standing together to build a stronger, safer world for us all. Read more

World Music Day

‘If music be the food of love, play on’ must be the second best-known quote from the Bard. These words uttered – or crooned in some performances – by Duke Orsino, who is in love with love itself, constitute the very first line of Twelfth Night. Read more

The One With All The Friends Vocabulary

Nearly 30 years after the final episode aired, fans around the world rejoiced as Friends: The Reunion finally graced our screens. As the cast toured the iconic sets and reflected on fond memories, we started reminiscing about the show’s classic words and phrases. Read more

Collins English Dictionary Apps

Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android. Read more

Collins Dictionaries for Schools

Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. Read more

We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots! Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge! Read more

Join the Collins community

All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month. Read more

Scrabble score
for 'taut':
4

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

scent or sent?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

sent

scent

He a basket of fruit and a card.

gone or went?

Which version is correct?

Gladys had just gone into the kitchen. Gladys had just went into the kitchen.

foul or fowl?

Which version is correct?

The smell was really quite foul. The smell was really quite fowl.

driven or drove?

Which version is correct?

I driven into town and went to a restaurant. I drove into town and went to a restaurant.

geezer or geyser?

Which version is correct?

Do you know this geezer? Do you know this geyser?

Your score:

Create an account and sign in to access this FREE content

Register now or log in to access