tout

[ tout ]

verb (used without object)

1. to persistently solicit business, employment, votes, or the like.
2. Horse Racing. to act as a tout.

verb (used with object)

1. to persistently solicit support for.
2. to describe or advertise boastfully; publicize or promote; praise extravagantly:

   a highly touted nightclub.

3. Horse Racing.
   1. to provide information on (a horse) running in a particular race, especially for a fee.
   2. to spy on (a horse in training) in order to gain information for the purpose of betting.
4. to watch; spy on.

noun

1. a person who persistently solicits business, employment, support, or the like.
2. Horse Racing.
   1. a person who gives information on a horse, especially for a fee.
   2. Chiefly British. a person who spies on a horse in training for the purpose of betting.
3. British. a ticket scalper.

tout

/ taʊt /

verb

1. to solicit (business, customers, etc) or hawk (merchandise), esp in a brazen way
2. intr
   1. to spy on racehorses being trained in order to obtain information for betting purposes
   2. to sell, or attempt to sell, such information or to take bets, esp in public places
3. informal.
   tr to recommend flatteringly or excessively

noun

1. 1. a person who spies on racehorses so as to obtain betting information to sell
   2. a person who sells information obtained by such spying
2. a person who solicits business in a brazen way
3. Also calledticket tout a person who sells tickets unofficially for a heavily booked sporting event, concert, etc, at greatly inflated prices
4. a police informer

Derived Forms

• ˈtouter, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tout¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English tuten “to look out, peer”; probably akin to Old English tōtian “to peep out”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tout¹

C14 (in the sense: to peer, look out): related to Old English tӯtan to peep out

Example Sentences

The head of an education technology startup that created a highly touted chatbot for the Los Angeles school system has been arrested and charged with fraud.

From Los Angeles Times

FOX and kindred outlets were saturated with commentators from across the racial and ethnic rainbow touting Trump-as-matchless-lover-and-protector-of-America and as the guarantor of its greatness.

From Salon

Marty Wilson, chief political strategist for the California Chamber of Commerce, says Proposition 36 was prominently touted by all the candidates his organization helped, including in one heavily Democratic Los Angeles district.

From Los Angeles Times

There, Biden described the battle against climate change as "a defining cause of my presidency" and touted the landmark climate legislation passed under his administration.

From BBC

The change came after a spotlight was shone on various issues within online ticket selling including the use of dynamic pricing and tickets being resold by touts.

From BBC

Related Words

• laud
• praise
• proclaim
• promote
• publicize
• trumpet