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

Hide and Seek follows a new string of murders featuring a dangerous stalker who kidnaps their victims before killing them, taunting them via text in the format of a popular Danish children’s counting rhyme (though the words chosen by the killer are far more violent). —Barry Levitt, Time, 7 May 2026

The first episode did capture fans taunting Williams on the road for his past, as well as a clip of him in front of a courthouse three years ago. —Joe Davidson may 7, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026

Noun

That taunt came from the boys playing in Happy Hearts Park. —Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026

Tkachuk was also caught on a live mic, giving German and Edmonton star Leon Draisaitl the taunt of the Olympics. —Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026

Verb

Over just four days this month, Milei, an avid user of X, wrote 86 posts taunting and insulting journalists, according to an analysis of his feed between April 2 and 5 by prominent Argentine daily La Nación. —ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026

Myrsiades said Hennessey spotted a white Mercedes SUV linked to a suspect accused of making bomb threats and taunting local law enforcement agencies. —Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026