taut

1 of 3

adjective

ˈtȯt 

1

a

: having no give or slack : tightly drawn

a taut rope

b

: high-strung, tense

taut nerves

2

a

: kept in proper order or condition

a taut ship

b(1)

: not loose or flabby

taut skin

(2)

: marked by economy of structure and detail

a taut story

tautly adverb

tautness noun

taut

2 of 3

verb

tauted; tauting; tauts

transitive verb

Scotland

: mat, tangle

taut-

3 of 3

combining form

variants or tauto-

: same

tautomerism

tautonym

Synonyms

Adjective

• rigid
• tense
• tight

Examples of taut in a Sentence

Adjective

The rope was drawn taut.

The book is a taut thriller.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

He’s had a particularly taut tightrope to walk on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025

The fly hangs on its own taut line below the mesh tent peak and simply pulls closed from inside. —New Atlas, 2 June 2025

Florida won its first Stanley Cup last year in epic fashion, in a taut Game 7 — the Cats finally earning a first franchise Cup, Edmonton denied its first since ever-distant 1990, and McDavid denied ... again. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025

Keep the cables taut at all times, and protect the bark from rubbing by using rags or short sections of old garden hose. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English tought, perhaps from tought, toughth fierce, tough, alteration of tough tough

Verb

origin unknown

Combining form

Late Latin, from Greek, from tauto the same, contraction of to auto

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Verb

1721, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for taut

• aught
• baht
• blot
• bott
• bought
• brought
• caught
• clot
• cot
• cott
• dot
• fought

Kids Definition

taut

adjective

ˈtȯt

1

a

: drawn to the limit : not slack

taut rope

b

: high-strung, tense

taut nerves

2

: kept in proper order or condition

a taut ship

tautly adverb

tautness noun