taut

1 of 3

adjective

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

Examples of taut in a Sentence

Adjective The rope was drawn taut. The book is a taut thriller.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The palate is taut and focused, with crisp citrus, ripe pear, and hints of toasted brioche and crushed oyster shell. Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 The taut and well-crafted play imagines King’s final evening, where he’s exhausted by the relentless pace of his activist work, questioning his mission, hounded by the press, suspicious of government surveillance and afraid for his life. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025 The score is propulsive and taut, the singing strong, and Elkanah Pulitzer’s production flips back and forth between Alexandria and Rome with action-movie ease. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025 One long, stiff leaf remains taut and intact, a narrow green mirror, a canoe full of water where the sun king shines—hypocrite? Samantha Schnee, The New York Review of Books, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for taut

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taut. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on taut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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