Synonyms of taunt

taunt 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈtȯnt 

as in to tease

to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tease
• mock
• annoy
• ridicule
• bother
• heckle
• bait
• ride
• irritate
• pick on
• torture
• needle
• plague
• jeer
• hassle
• haze
• try
• deride
• make game of
• harass
• bully
• trouble
• spite
• gibe
• goad
• irk
• torment
• vex
• rile
• pester
• disturb
• aggravate
• test
• exasperate
• nag
• burn (up)
• persecute
• bug
• peeve
• frost
• gripe
• itch
• ruffle
• badger
• gnaw (at)
• grate
• discomfort
• chafe
• agitate
• fret
• pique
• perturb
• hack (off)
• bedevil
• terrorize
• gall
• aggrieve
• put out
• dog
• hound
• browbeat
• get
• rasp
• nark
• nettle
• beleaguer
• hector
• harry
• hagride

taunt

2 of 4

noun

as in jeer

Related Words

• jeer
• sneer
• insult
• mock
• gibe
• quip
• affront
• slap
• barb
• dart
• slur
• sarcasm
• catcall
• indignity
• outrage
• slight
• abuse
• epithet
• invective
• poke
• vituperation
• disapproval
• dis
• brickbat
• dig
• name
• gird
• put-down
• offense
• attack
• criticism
• personality
• cut
• dishonor
• shame
• opprobrium
• swipe
• disgrace
• knock
• torment
• torture
• slam

Dissimilar Words

• compliment
• praise
• commendation
• applause
• acclaim
• flattery
• accolade
• adulation

taunting

3 of 4

adjective

as in mocking

Related Words

• mocking
• derisive
• baiting
• ridiculing
• heckling
• jeering
• needling
• deriding
• hassling
• derisory
• sarcastic
• contemptuous
• joking
• scornful
• razzing
• bandying
• bantering
• rallying
• quipping
• kidding
• quizzical
• disdainful
• jesting
• fooling
• ribbing
• joshing
• funning
• chaffing

taunting

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of taunt

as in teasing

to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults

the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• teasing
• mocking
• ridiculing
• bothering
• baiting
• heckling
• annoying
• riding
• hassling
• torturing
• hazing
• needling
• irritating
• jeering
• plaguing
• picking on
• bullying
• troubling
• making game of
• deriding
• trying
• goading
• harassing
• pestering
• tormenting
• spiting
• nagging
• badgering
• disturbing
• gibing
• bugging
• testing
• aggravating
• griping
• irking
• exasperating
• itching
• riling
• nettling
• grating
• vexing
• ruffling
• hounding
• burning (up)
• persecuting
• chafing
• rasping
• fretting
• dogging
• agitating
• discomforting
• perturbing
• browbeating
• frosting
• terrorizing
• gnawing (at)
• piquing
• galling
• narking
• bedeviling
• hectoring
• getting
• hacking (off)
• beleaguering
• peeving
• putting out
• harrying
• hagriding
• aggrieving

Synonym Chooser

How is the word taunt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of taunt are deride, mock, and ridicule. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

When could deride be used to replace taunt?

The words deride and taunt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

When would mock be a good substitute for taunt?

Although the words mock and taunt have much in common, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

In what contexts can ridicule take the place of taunt?

The synonyms ridicule and taunt are sometimes interchangeable, but ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of taunt

Verb

And they were taunted by the protesters, getting abused for no reason. —Emma Rosenblum, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026

Her reasoning is frustrating, but understandable — her husband (Yao), now a vampire, is taunting her outside, and Remmick has threatened to kill her daughter back in town. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026

Noun

Cornyn’s campaign responded with a taunt over Paxton’s divorce and cheating scandal. —Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026

The taunt immediately caught Ballerini’s attention. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Dec. 2025

Verb

Another child care center director recounted how vehicles full of taunting men have driven by more than once. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026

Seattle Seahawks defensive back Tariq Woolen was fined $17,398 Saturday for a taunting penalty during the NFC championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026