flout

English

Etymology

Perhaps from Middle English flouten (“to play the flute”); compare with Dutch fluiten.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /flaʊt/
(Canada) IPA^(key): /flʌʊt/
Rhymes: -aʊt

Verb

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

(transitive) To express contempt for (laws, rules, etc.) 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.
(transitive, archaic) To scorn.
- 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

Chinese:
Mandarin: 公然 (zh)藐視 (zh) (miǎoshì)、違背 (zh) (wéibèi)
Dutch: minachten (nl), veronachtzamen (nl)
Finnish: uhmata (fi), halveksia (fi), pitää pilkkanaan (fi)
German: sich hinwegsetzen über, missachten (de)

Maori: whakatoi, whakatoitoi
Polish: zlekceważyć (pl)
Portuguese: desrespeitar (pt)
Russian: пренебрега́ть (ru) (prenebregátʹ)
Spanish: sobreponerse (es), saltarse a la torera (colloquial; of an action)

to scorn

Bulgarian: надсмивам се (nadsmivam se), подигравам се (podigravam se)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 藐視 (zh) (miǎoshì)、鄙視 (zh) (bǐshì)、不屑 (zh) (bùxiè)
Dutch: bespotten (nl)
Finnish: halveksia (fi), pitää pilkkanaan (fi)
French: mépriser (fr), se moquer de

German: verspotten (de), beleidigen (de)
Maori: whakatoi, whakatoitoi
Polish: gardzić (pl)
Portuguese: escarnecer (pt), ridicularizar (pt)
Russian: насмехаться (ru) (nasmexatʹsja), глумиться (ru) (glumitʹsja)

Noun

flout (plural flouts)

The act by which something is flouted; violation of a law.
- 2012, John Flowerdew, Discourse in English Language Education (page 97)
  A flout is when someone deliberately and ostentatiously contravenes a maxim.
A mockery or insult.

Luxembourgish

Adjective

flout

inflected form of flou

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