flout

1 of 2

verb

flouted; flouting; flouts

transitive verb

: to treat with contemptuous disregard : scorn
flouting the rules

intransitive verb

: to indulge in scornful behavior
Ah, you may flout and turn up your facesRobert Browning
flouter noun
Flaunt vs. Flout: Usage Guide

Although the "treat contemptuously" sense of flaunt undoubtedly arose from confusion with flout, the contexts in which it appears cannot be called substandard.

meting out punishment to the occasional mavericks who operate rigged games, tolerate rowdyism, or otherwise flaunt the law Oscar Lewis
observed with horror the flaunting of their authority in the suburbs, where men … put up buildings that had no place at all in a Christian commonwealth Marchette Chute
in our profession … very rarely do we publicly chastise a colleague who has flaunted our most basic principles R. T. Blackburn, AAUP Bull.

If you use it, however, you should be aware that many people will consider it a mistake. Use of flout in the sense of "flaunt, parade" is found occasionally.

"The proper pronunciation," the blonde said, flouting her refined upbringing, "is pree feeks" Mike Royko

flout

2 of 2

noun

: jeer

Did you know?

If you flout a rule or societal norm, you ignore it without hiding what you're doing, or showing fear or shame. The similar-sounding word flaunt is sometimes used in the same way, though that word's older and more common meaning is "to display ostentatiously." Critics have been complaining about the confusion of these two words since the early 1900s, but use of flaunt with the meaning "to treat with contemptuous disregard" is found in even polished, edited writing, and so that meaning is included in our and other dictionaries as an established use of the word. Nonetheless, you may want to avoid it: there are still many who judge harshly those who fail to keep these two words distinct.

Choose the Right Synonym for flout

scoff, jeer, gibe, fleer, sneer, flout mean to show one's contempt in derision or mockery.

scoff stresses insolence, disrespect, or incredulity as motivating the derision.

scoffed at their concerns

jeer suggests a coarser more undiscriminating derision.

the crowd jeered at the prisoners

gibe implies taunting either good-naturedly or in sarcastic derision.

hooted and gibed at the umpire

fleer suggests grinning or grimacing derisively.

the saucy jackanapes fleered at my credulity

sneer stresses insulting by contemptuous facial expression, phrasing, or tone of voice.

sneered at anything romantic

flout stresses contempt shown by refusal to heed.

flouted the conventions of polite society

Examples of flout in a Sentence

Verb Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to flout the law. an able-bodied motorist openly flouting the law and parking in a space reserved for the disabled
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The result was a prosecution of the Royal Court, which ended with a district magistrate deciding that the theater had indeed flouted the censor. Benedict Nightingale, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 In a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Grubhub, county lawyers argue the food delivery company has repeatedly flouted a state law barring false advertising by promoting meals at a cheaper price than what customers see at the checkout page. Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 But a contempt can conceivably be cured only by compliance with the terms of the directive that has been flouted — in this instance, an Oversight Committee subpoena. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 Companies found to have flouted the rules can be fined the equivalent of up to 6% of their annual global revenue. Anna Cooban, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 City officials promised to crack down on the party organizers who flouted the Los Angeles County Public Health Department’s warning about the spread of COVID-19. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 The high court decision left in place a 2023 appeals court ruling that found Apple’s business model didn’t violate federal antitrust laws, but did flout California’s Unfair Competition Law by limiting the ability of developers to communicate about alternate payment systems that may cost less. Rachel Graf, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024 However, Israel flouting a ruling related to the Genocide Convention would be seen as a grave step in the international court of public opinion. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Jan. 2024 How the ‘cool aunties’ of pop culture flout the growing restrictions imposed on women. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from Middle English flouten to play the flute, from floute flute

Noun

derivative of flout entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flout was in 1551

Dictionary Entries Near flout

Cite this Entry

“Flout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flout. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flout

verb
ˈflau̇t
: to ignore in a disrespectful way
flouting the rules
flouter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on flout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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