touted; touting; touts
Synonyms of tout

transitive verb

1
: to make much of : promote, talk up
touted as the summer's blockbuster movie
the college's much touted women's studies program
2
: to solicit, peddle, or persuade importunately
… not meant to tout you off the movie.Russell Baker
3
: to spy on : watch
4
a
British : to spy out information about (a racing stable, a horse, etc.)
b
: to give a tip or solicit bets on (a racehorse)

intransitive verb

1
: to solicit patronage
2
a
chiefly British : to spy on racehorses in training to gain information for betting
b
: to give a tip or solicit bets on a racehorse

tout

2 of 2

noun

: one who touts: such as
a
: one who solicits patronage
b
chiefly British : one who spies out racing information for betting purposes
c
: one who gives tips or solicits bets on a racehorse

Examples of tout in a Sentence

Verb The company is running advertisements touting the drug's effectiveness. The company's stock is being touted by many financial advisers. People were touting tickets outside the stadium. People were touting outside the stadium.
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.
Verb
Also carried over from the GT-2000 14 is PureGel heel cushioning, which is touted as 65 percent softer than Asics’ standard Gel technology. Riley Jones, Footwear News, 15 July 2026 In May, at YouTube’s annual Brandcast, the platform touted a new season of Feeding Starving Celebrities set to debut in the fall. Rachel Brodsky, Time, 14 July 2026 Bastos, whose children attended schools in District 6, touts her decades of business experience as a strong asset to solving BCPS’s budget woes. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 The Republican has represented the state in the Senate since 1997 and regularly touts her power as the Appropriations Committee chair as a reason to keep her in the Senate for another six years. ABC News, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tout

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English tuten to protrude, peer; probably akin to Old English tōtian to stick out, Norwegian tyte

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tout was circa 1700

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tout. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

tout

verb
ˈtau̇t
ˈtüt
: to make much of : promote

More from Merriam-Webster on tout

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster