touting

American  

[tou-ting] / ˈtaʊ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of vigorously and boastfully describing, advertising, or promoting something or someone, especially in a persistent or annoying way.

   The avid touting of any new technology should be greeted with a healthy dose of critical skepticism.

2. Stock Exchange. the fraudulent act of promoting an investment while secretly receiving remuneration for doing so.

   The average investor who buys a heavily touted stock and sells it two days after the touting ends will lose close to 5.5%.

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adjective

1. vigorously and boastfully describing, advertising, or promoting something or someone, especially in a persistent or annoying way.

   Upon arrival the first thing we had to negotiate was the hordes of touting taxi drivers at the station.

2. Stock Exchange. engaging in the fraudulent practice of promoting an investment while secretly receiving remuneration for doing so.

   Many an investor has been lured into buying stock by a touting celebrity with a rags-to-riches story.

Etymology

Origin of touting

First recorded in 1970–75; tout ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; tout ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Trump had kicked the week off March 29 by touting his 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, showing designs to reporters on Air Force One.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Several companies—including PayPal, Salsify, and retail AI upstart Verneek—are touting tools that aim to make a company’s product lists more accurate and AI-ready.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

It’s not just Marvell’s CEO touting the deal.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Beneath the surface, however, Bohm has faced obstacles and oddities, including a frightening elbow infection and a viral social media post touting his generosity that was untrue.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Uncle Pete had been touting these books for a long time, not to mention quoting from them liberally to score points in Sunday debates.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides