taut

See also taut-

English

Etymology

From Middle English, past participle of tow

Pronunciation

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• enPR: tôt, IPA: /tɔːt/
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: tät, IPA: /tɑt/
• Rhymes: -ɔːt
• Homophones: taught, tort (in non-rhotic accents), tot (with cot-caught merger)
• Rhymes: -ɑːt

Adjective

taut (comparative tauter, superlative tautest)

1. Tight; under tension, as in a rope or bow string.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     The hawser was as taut as a bowstring - so strong she pulled upon her anchor.

2. Experiencing stress or anxiety.
   • 1989 Faye Kellerman, The Quality of Mercy

     His outward appearance was calm, but inside he was very taut.

3. Containing only relevant parts, brief and controlled.
   • 2007 Milton C. Sernett, Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory and History

     Quick action and dialogue create a taut story, although it is illustration that shapes the characters.

Translations

tight; under tension, as in a rope or bow string

• Armenian: ձիգ (hy) (jig)
• Czech: napjatý (cs)
• Dutch: gespannen (nl), gecrispeerd (nl)
• Finnish: kireä (fi), jännitetty (fi), tiukka (fi)
• French: tendu (fr), contracté (fr)
• German: gespannt (de)
• Hungarian: feszes (hu)

• Japanese: 張っている (ja) (はっている, hatte iru)
• Norwegian: spent (no) n
• Polish: naprężony (pl) m, napięty (pl) m
• Russian: натянутый (ru) (natjánutyj), напряжённый (ru) (naprjažónnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: teann (gd)
• Serbo-Croatian: napet (sh), napregnut (sh)
• Swedish: spänd (sv), sträckt (sv)

showing stress or anxiety

• Czech: napjatý (cs)
• Dutch: gespannen (nl), angstig (nl)
• French: tendu (fr), stressé (fr), anxieux (fr)
• German: angespannt (de)
• Hungarian: feszült (hu)

• Japanese: 緊張している (ja) (きんちょうしている, kinchō shite iru)
• Norwegian: anspent (no) n, anstrengt (no) n
• Russian: напряжённый (ru) (naprjažónnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: napet (sh)

containing only relevant parts, brief and controlled

• Czech: napínavý (cs)
• Dutch: beknopt (nl), kernachtig (nl)

• Norwegian: fortettet (no) n

Derived terms

• tauten
• tautly
• tautness

Synonyms

tense

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German

Verb

taut

1. Third-person singular present of tauen.
2. Second-person plural present of tauen.
3. Imperative plural of tauen.