flout

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flaʊt/, X-SAMPA: /flaUt/

  Rhymes: -aʊt

Etymology

Perhaps from Middle English flouten, to play the flute; compare with Dutch fluiten.

Verb

flout (third-person singular simple present flouts, present participle flouting, simple past and past participle flouted)

1. To express contempt for the rules by word or action.
   • 2012, The Economist, Sep 29th 2012 issue, Tax alchemy: Tech's avoidance

     The manoeuvres of Microsoft and HP appear to comply with the letter of the regulations, even if they flout their spirit.

2. To scorn.

   "They flouted the conventions and were asked to leave."

   • Walton

     Phillida flouts me.

   • Byron

     Three gaudy standards flout the pale blue sky.

Usage notes

• Do not confuse with flaunt.

Translations

to express contempt for the rules by word or action

• Dutch: minachten (nl)
• Finnish: uhmata, halveksia, pitää pilkkanaan
• German: sich hinwegsetzen über, missachten (de)
• Polish: zlekceważyć (pl)

• Russian: пренебрегать (ru) (prenebregatʹ)
• Spanish: sobreponerse (es)

to scorn

• Dutch: bespotten (nl)
• Finnish: halveksia, pitää pilkkanaan
• German: verspotten (de), beleidigen (de)

• Polish: gardzić (pl)
• Russian: насмехаться (ru) (nasmexatʹsja), глумиться (ru) (glumitʹsja)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: mépriser, se moquer de