tut-tut

1 of 2

interjection

two alveolar or dental clicks
 How to pronounce tut-tut (audio)
 often read as  ˈtət-ˈtət
: tut

tut-tut

2 of 2

verb

tut-tutted; tut-tutting

intransitive verb

: to express disapproval or disbelief by or as if by uttering tut
editorialists tut-tutted over the recent congressional scandal

Examples of tut-tut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Interjection
The rest of the parents, who are mostly millennials, tut-tut their disapproval, and talk about how badly they’ve been triggered. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Oct. 2023 Yet strategic convergence there does not mean everywhere: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its year-long war has elicited a tepid tut-tut from New Delhi, while India has escalated its purchases of cheap Russian oil at a time Washington seeks to isolate Moscow. Alyssa Ayres, Time, 21 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tut-tut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Interjection

1566, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tut-tut was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near tut-tut

Cite this Entry

“Tut-tut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tut-tut. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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