flout

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

flout, v. t. [OD. fluyten to play the flute, to jeer, D. fluiten, fr. fluit, fr. French. See Flute.].

 To mock or insult; to treat with contempt.  [1913 Webster]
"Phillida flouts me."  [1913 Webster]
"Three gaudy standards flout the pale blue sky."  [1913 Webster]

flout, v. i. 

 To practice mocking; to behave with contempt; to sneer; to fleer; -- often with at.  [1913 Webster]
"Fleer and gibe, and laugh and flout."  [1913 Webster]

flout, n. 

 A mock; an insult.  [1913 Webster]
"Who put your beauty to this flout and scorn."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

flout, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. express contempt for (the law, rules, etc.) by word or action; mock; insult (flouted convention by shaving her head).

Usage

Often confused with flaunt.
2 intr. (often foll. by at) mock or scoff at.
--n. a flouting speech or act.

Etymology

perh. f. Du. fluiten whistle, hiss: cf. FLUTE

THESAURUS

flout

Parthian shot, abase, affront, aspersion, atrocity, back answer, barrack, belittle, blaspheme, break, break the law, brickbat, call names, care naught for, caustic remark, chaff, comeback, contemn, contempt, contravene, contumely, crack, cut, cut at, cutting remark, decry, defy, degrade, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, depreciate, deride, despise, despite, dig, dig at, disdain, dishonor, disobey, disoblige, disparage, disregard, do violence to, dump, dump on, enormity, fleer, fleer at, flouting, foolery, gibe, gibe at, gibing retort, gird, give offense to, go counter to, guy, hold in derision, humiliate, humiliation, hurl a brickbat, ignore, indignity, infringe, injury, insult, jab, jab at, jape, jeer, jeer at, jeering, jest, jibe at, knock, laugh at, laugh to scorn, leg-pull, minimize, misprize, mock, mockery, not conform, not heed, not keep, not listen, not mind, not observe, offend, offense, outrage, parting shot, pooh, pooh-pooh, put down, put-down, put-on, quip, rag, rail at, rally, rank out, refuse to cooperate, repudiate, revile, ridicule, rude reproach, scoff, scoff at, scorn, scout, scurrility, set at defiance, set at naught, set naught by, short answer, slam, slap, slap at, slight, slight over, sneer, sneer at, spurn, swipe, taunt, trample on, trample underfoot, trample upon, transgress, treat with contempt, treat with indignity, trespass, twit, uncomplimentary remark, verbal thrust, violate

ROGET THESAURUS

flout

Disrespect

N disrespect, disesteem, disestimation, disparagement irreverence, slight, neglect, spretae injuria formae, superciliousness, vilipendency, vilification, contumely, affront, dishonor, insult, indignity, outrage, discourtesy, practical joking, scurrility, scoffing, sibilance, hissing, sibilation, irrision, derision, mockery, irony, sarcasm, hiss, hoot, boo, gibe, flout, jeer, scoff, gleek, taunt, sneer, quip, fling, wipe, slap in the face, disrespectful, aweless, irreverent, disparaging, insulting, supercilious, contemptuous, patronizing, rude, derisive, sarcastic, scurrile, scurrilous, contumelious, unrespected, unworshiped, unenvied, unsaluted, unregarded, disregarded, disrespectfully.

VB hold in disrespect, misprize, disregard, slight, trifle with, set at naught, pass by, push aside, overlook, turn one's back upon, laugh in one's sleeve, be disrespectful, be discourteous, treat with disrespect, set down, put down, browbeat, dishonor, desecrate, insult, affront, outrage, speak slightingly of, disparage, vilipend, vilify, call names, throw dirt, fling dirt, drag through the mud, point at, indulge in personalities, make mouths, make faces, bite the thumb, take by the beard, pluck by the beard, toss in a blanket, tar and feather, have in derision, hold in derision, deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, snigger, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle, gleek, gird, flout, fleer, roast, turn into ridicule, burlesque, laugh to scorn, smoke, fool, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, play a practical joke, lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout, mob.

Contempt

VB despise, contemn, scorn, disdain, feel contempt for, view with a scornful eye, disregard, slight, not mind, pass by, look down upon, hold cheap, hold in contempt, hold in disrespect, think nothing of, think small beer of, make light of, underestimate, esteem slightly, esteem of small or no account, take no account of, care nothing for, set no store by, not care a straw, sneeze at, set at naught, laugh in one's sleeve, laugh up one's sleeve, snap one's fingers at, shrug one's shoulders, turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh, damn with faint praise, whistle at, sneer at, curl up one's lip, toss the head, traiter de haut enbas, laugh at, point the finger of scorn, hold up to scorn, laugh to scorn, scout, hoot, flout, hiss, scoff at, turn one's back upon, turn a cold shoulder upon, tread upon, trample upon, trample under foot, spurn, kick, fling to the winds, send away with a flea in the ear.