pout

¹

[ pout ]

verb (used without object)

1. to thrust out the lips, especially in displeasure or sullenness.
2. to look or be sullen; sulk; mope.

   Synonyms: scowl, glower, brood

3. to swell out or protrude, as lips.

verb (used with object)

1. to protrude (the lips).
2. to utter with a pout.

noun

1. the act of pouting; a protrusion of the lips.
2. a fit of sullenness:

   to be in a pout.

pout

²

[ pout ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) pout, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) pouts.

1. horned pout.
2. ocean pout.
3. a northern marine food fish, Trisopterus luscus.

pout

¹

/ paʊt /

noun

1. short for horned pout eelpout
2. any of various gadoid food fishes, esp the bib (also called whiting pout )
3. any of certain other stout-bodied fishes

pout

²

/ paʊt /

verb

1. to thrust out (the lips), as when sullen, or (of the lips) to be thrust out
2. intr to swell out; protrude
3. tr to utter with a pout

noun

1. sometimes the pouts a fit of sullenness
2. the act or state of pouting

Derived Forms

• ˈpoutingly, adverb
• ˈpouty, adjective

Other Words From

• poutful adjective
• pouting·ly adverb
• un·pouting adjective
• un·pouting·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pout¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pouten; probably from Old Norse; compare Swedish dialect puta “to be inflated,” Norwegian (noun) “pute ”

Origin of pout²

First recorded before 1000; Old English -pūta, in ǣlepūta “eelpout” (not recorded in Middle English ); akin to Low German pūtāl and aalputte “eelpout,” Dutch puit “frog”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pout¹

Old English -pūte as in ǣlepūte eelpout; related to Dutch puit frog

Origin of pout²

C14: of uncertain origin; compare Swedish dialect puta inflated, Danish pude pillow

Example Sentences

It’s that time of year again, when Dodgers fans will be pouting and moaning about “only” winning the division title, and how disgraceful it will be if they fail to win the World Series.

From Los Angeles Times

Never once did he drag or pout or complain.

From Los Angeles Times

According to NBC News, he whined "no one is defending me" and pouted over the fact that there wasn't a big crowd of protesters outside.

From Salon

Her suspicions remained on her face as a beaky pout.

From Literature

But Balcer refused to fold or let the fan base pout.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• mope
• sulk

More About Pout

What does pout mean?

To pout is to act in a gloomy and irritated way; to mope or sulk.

Children sometimes pout when they don’t get their way, often by sitting with their arms crossed and a specific look on their face: a kind of frown with the lips pushed out (sometimes just the bottom lip). This expression is also called a pout. The term is typically used in the context of young children, but it can be applied to adults in some situations.

Example: My toddler pouts when he doesn’t get his way, but I guess it’s better than throwing a tantrum.

Where does pout come from?

The first records of pout come from around 1300. It comes from the Middle English pouten, which is related to the Swedish puta, meaning “to be inflated.”

This is probably due to the fact that when you pout, you push your lips out and your mouth looks like it’s a little inflated. Children do this when they’re disappointed or upset. We commonly use the term for the expression for the behavior that goes along with it—refusing to talk, acting sullen, and maybe moaning or grunting. When we accuse an adult of pouting, we’re criticizing them for behaving in an immature and childish way (especially after not getting their way).

The pouty expression isn’t always used to express sullenness. Fashion models are known for using a pout when they’re being photographed since it’s supposedly an attractive look. An exaggerated version of this expression is called duckface, in which the lips are pushed out extra far in a way that’s compared to a duck’s bill.

Unrelatedly, pout is also a name for several different kinds of fish. When you make a fish face, it kind of looks like a pout, but that’s just a coincidence.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to pout?

• pouty (adjective)
• pouter (noun)

What are some synonyms for pout?

• sulk
• mope
• brood
• moue

What are some words that often get used in discussing pout?

 

• frown
• lips
• mouth
• face
• expression
• childish
• model

How is pout used in real life?

The word pout referring to sulking behavior is often used in relation to children or adults acting like children. The expression is used in the same context but is also applied to people sticking out their lips to look cute.

When someone tries to apologize to you for something but you’ve already fully committed to pouting about it pic.twitter.com/q7aq95VlZE

— Peyton Clark (@peytonpclark) August 9, 2018

Curvy is pouting in her bed because I won't give her dinner 5 hours early….

— A Social Distance Too Far 🐓🌉👩🏻‍🏫✡️ (@CyborgBooBoo23) March 25, 2020

Johnathan has been at my house for three days and he just went home 20 minutes ago and I’m pouting about it. I miss him

— stv🕊🌹🤍 (@ohhoneysenpai) March 22, 2020

 

 

Try using pout!

Is pout used correctly in the following sentence? 

You pouted for a full hour after you heard that the concert was sold out.