troll

1 of 3

noun (1)

: a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore inhabiting caves or hills

troll

2 of 3

verb

trolled; trolling; trolls

transitive verb

1
a
: to fish for by trolling
b
: to fish by trolling in
troll lakes
c
: to pull through the water in trolling
troll a lure
d
: to search in or at
trolls flea markets for bargains
also : prowl
troll nightclubs
2
a
: to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content
… trolls engage in the most outrageous and offensive behaviors possible—all the better to troll you with.Whitney Phillips
b
: to act as a troll (see troll entry 3 sense 2) on (a forum, site, etc.)
… is also notorious, for trolling message boards on the Internet, posting offensive material he himself has written and then suing anyone who responds in agreement.Mark Hemingway
c
: to harass, criticize, or antagonize (someone) especially by provocatively disparaging or mocking public statements, postings, or acts
The switch came after the Chargers became the butt of jokes, memes and derision on social media. The NFL tweeted the initial logo Thursday, but later deleted it as the Chargers even got trolled by other pro and college sports teams over the logo that looked like a cross between baseball's Dodgers and hockey's Lightning.Arnie Stapleton
But [Niki] Caro told The Los Angeles Times this week that there might be music after all. Caro said she got trolled by fans because of the rumor of a lack of music.Herb Scribner
The club has been trolled in a brutal (and somewhat brilliant) manner—by having a giant poster of Tevez scoring his last-day winner plastered outside their Bramall Lane ground.Will Magee
3
: to cause to move round and round : roll
4
a
: to sing the parts of (something, such as a round or catch) in succession
b
: to sing loudly
c
: to celebrate in song

intransitive verb

1
a
: to fish by trailing a lure or baited hook from a moving boat
b
: search, look
trolling for sponsors
also : prowl
2
: to move around : ramble
3
: to sing or play in a jovial manner
4
: to speak rapidly
troller noun
trolling noun

troll

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a lure or a line with its lure and hook used in trolling
2
: a person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content
Internet trolls
In the late 1980s, Internet users adopted the word "troll" to denote someone who intentionally disrupts online communities.Mattathias Schwartz

Examples of troll in a Sentence

Verb They were trolling the ocean floor. She loves to troll flea markets looking for bargains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The episode earned near universal acclaim from critics, but that didn’t stop homophobic trolls from taking issue with the show for spotlighting a gay romance. Zack Sharf, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024 Misinformation runs rampant and unchecked as platforms actively decrease their moderation, step away from ties with news publishers, and whistle softly while troll farms abuse their systems to deceive the American public. John Matze, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024 In some ways, the Brittany Mahomes trolls remind me of what similar bullies said about Amber Heard during the Johnny Depp defamation trial. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 11 Feb. 2024 The trolls’ various schemes for advancement and connection all end disastrously, as many in the audience surely feel the election did, too. Jesse Green, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Young previously addressed online trolls with a social media post that contained a clip of some security video footage of the incident. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Feb. 2024 For most of her presidential campaign, Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former United Nations ambassador, has been spared the full onslaught from former President Donald J. Trump’s devoted following of internet trolls. Ken Bensinger, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Our team wanted to create a place that didn’t have those biases or those misinformation trolls. John Matze, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024 Of course, however, going public with anything, especially a romance, comes with the risk of trolls and detractors. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Almost all kokanee fishing is done by trolling from a boat using downriggers or leaded line. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Fans of the popstar, who are far less forgiving than their idol, took that opportunity to troll Timberlake by sending the 13-year-old song skyrocketing up the charts. Shania Russell, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2024 Unlike Perth, Australia, this match had zero heat. Baszler and Stark vs. LeRae and Hartwell Grade: C- Drew McIntyre Confronts Seth Rollins Drew McIntyre continues to be hilarious as a heel, relentlessly trolling CM Punk. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Truth was likely trolling her interviewers, who kept asking her age, while capitalizing off the appetite some white Americans had for antebellum stories. Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 Fort Pierce has a cute downtown area anchored by Sailfish Brewing Company and is the place to head out on a charter fishing trip into the Gulf Stream to troll for mahi. Terry Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2024 The Ravens must be trolling music fans by putting rap artist T-Pain and pop sensation Taylor Swift in the same venue at the same time. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024 Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic has trolled theNBAmedia in defense of teammate Bradley Beal, but he's been on the receiving end of some trolling himself — from Shaquille O'Neal. Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 12 Jan. 2024 Trump's campaign and allies spent millions on anti-DeSantis ads and trolled him on his personality, his footwear and internal dysfunction with his campaign. Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'troll.' 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

Noun (1)

Norwegian troll & Danish trold, from Old Norse troll giant, demon; probably akin to Middle High German trolle lout

Verb

Middle English trollen "to roll, rock (the head)," of uncertain origin

Note: Probably ultimately a sound-symbolic verb whose divergent meanings are difficult to reconcile historically, suggesting multiple creations or sources. The earliest meaning was "to roll" in various contexts; perhaps derived from this was "to sing in the manner of a round or catch." The sense "to roam" is possibly attested in the Piers Plowman B text ("And thus hath he [Jesus] trolled forth : this two & thretty wynter"), though the interpretation is uncertain and comparable instances are only known centuries later. This use has conventionally been linked with Middle French treler, traler, treiller "(of hunting dogs) look for prey without a trail or the use of a scent hound," and 16th-century troller "to wander from place to place (originally of a dog)." The sense "to fish by trailing a lure or bait from a moving boat," if not of independent origin, may have been influenced by trail entry 1 and trawl entry 1; also perhaps of relevance is French treuil "winch," though most early uses of troll in this sense do not employ a comparable noun in the meaning "winch" or "reel" (see, for example, Robert Nobbes, The Compleat Troller, or the Art of Trolling, London, 1682). Sense 2, attested from the early 1990's, is probably in part from the fishing sense, in part a derivative of troll entry 3.

Noun (2)

earlier, "the act of trolling" (in various senses), derivative of troll entry 1; sense 2 in part by association with troll entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1616, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (2)

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of troll was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near troll

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

troll

1 of 3 verb
1
a
: to sing the parts of (as a round)
b
: to sing or recite loudly or merrily
2
: to fish for with a hook and line drawn through the water (as behind a slowly moving boat)
3
a
: to harass, criticize, or antagonize (others or another) especially by disparaging, mocking, inflammatory, or offensive public statements, online postings, or acts
b
: to act as a troll (as on a website)
troller noun

troll

2 of 3 noun
1
: a lure or a line with its lure and hook used in trolling
2
: a person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content

troll

3 of 3 noun
: a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore living in caves or hills
Etymology

Verb

Middle English trollen "to cause to move round and round"

Noun

from Norwegian troll and Danish trold, both meaning "a giant or dwarf of folklore"

More from Merriam-Webster on troll

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