taut

[ tawt ]

adjective

, taut·er, taut·est.

1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack.
2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense:

   taut nerves.

3. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

   Synonyms: smart, spruce, trig, trim

taut

/ tɔːt /

adjective

1. tightly stretched; tense
2. showing nervous strain; stressed
3. nautical in good order; neat

Derived Forms

• ˈtautness, noun
• ˈtautly, adverb

Other Words From

• tautly adverb
• tautness noun
• un·taut adjective
• un·tautly adverb
• un·tautness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of taut¹

1275–1325; earlier taught, Middle English tought; akin to tow ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of taut¹

C14 tought; probably related to Old English togian to tow ¹

Example Sentences

While most agree that Intermezzo is a step up from her other novels, Lola Seaton in the New Statesman said it "lacks the taut self-assurance of Conversations with Friends and Normal People".

From BBC

Football and politics pull and stretch the imaginary tendons of masculinity till they’re taut.

From Salon

Going over to inspect, one discovers that the work’s flat front scrim is actually a shallow box, with black scrim pulled taut at each side.

From Los Angeles Times

In Jeremy Saulnier’s “Rebel Ridge,” a “Rambo”-inspired riff on racial profiling and the insidious banality of evil baked into American policing, the filmmaker demonstrates his mastery of the taut action thriller.

From Los Angeles Times

I wouldn’t say I look like those lithe young women who surround me there — most are so young that I could be their mother — but a taut core has developed beneath my midriff bulge.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• tense