troll

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtrōl 

: 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

ˈtrō-lər 

noun

trolling

ˈtrō-liŋ 

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• fay
• gnome
• goblin
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• kobold
• leprechaun
• pixie
• pixy
• puck
• sprite

Verb

• comb
• dig (through)
• dredge
• hunt (through)
• rake
• ransack
• rifle
• rummage
• scour
• search
• sort (through)

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 entrepreneur also called out internet trolls and bullies who try to intimidate her and her family. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024

Kayla Nicole is asking social media trolls to leave her alone after her post on social media was mistaken for a slight against Taylor Swift. —Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

Zack Fox Zack Fox made a name for himself on social media as a professional troll on X and rapper. —Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024

In recent years, Lynch, Halle Bailey and Yara Shahidi are among the Black actors who have been subjected to racist trolls when they were cast in high-profile roles. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Some have expressed frustration with scam and troll accounts that buy a blue check, manipulating the system in order to end up at the top of other users’ replies. —Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

Oscar the Bird King, a troll sculpture by recycle artist Thomas Dambo. —David Morgan, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024

In other words, when Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hit consoles late last month, players were faced with the possibility that Aerith could be saved—or that Square Enix might be about to pull off the biggest troll in history. —Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024

Ngo, for those who are unaware, is a far-right troll who spreads antifa conspiracy theories and has been accused of publishing selectively edited videos of antifa protests to make the left-wing activist group look violent. —David Gilbert, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024

Verb

Some rogue agents troll online enrollment portals that are accessible only to brokers but are integrated with the HealthCare.gov website. —Julie Appleby, NPR, 15 Apr. 2024

Detractors trolled Ureña’s social media accounts, leaving vulgar, sometimes threatening, comments. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

There's nothing like trolling your nearest and dearest — just ask Kourtney Kardashian. —Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024

President Biden is lapping Donald Trump in fundraising ― and trolling him about his debts. —USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024

Opinion was divided as to whether Altman was sincerely complimenting Yudkowsky or trolling him, given that accelerating A.G.I. is, by Yudkowsky’s lights, the worst thing a person can possibly do. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024

Though most people praised Tominaga for his emotional moment, he’s also been trolled and received racist comments. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024

In other words, Musk needs to spend less time trolling Boeing and more time figuring out how to reignite his own sputtering growth engines. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024

The account continues to be active months later as a way for Biden to troll Trump. —Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

troll

1 of 3 verb

ˈtrōl 

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"