different between indignity vs taunt

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French indignité, from Latin indignitas

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d??.n?.ti/

Noun

indignity (countable and uncountable, plural indignities)

1. degradation, debasement or humiliation
2. an affront to one's dignity or pride

Related terms

• indign
• indignant
• indignation
• dignity

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t??nt/, enPR: tônt
• (US) IPA^(key): /t?nt/, enPR: tônt
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /t?nt/, enPR: tänt
• Rhymes: -??nt, -??nt

Etymology 1

Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

Verb

taunt (third-person singular simple present taunts, present participle taunting, simple past and past participle taunted)

1. to make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.

Translations

Noun

taunt (plural taunts)

1. A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery

Translations

Etymology 2

Compare Old French tant (“so great”), French tant (“so much”), Latin tantus (“of such size, so great, so much”). See ataunt.

Adjective

taunt (comparative more taunt, superlative most taunt)

1. (obsolete, nautical) Very high or tall.

   a ship with taunt masts

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Totten to this entry?)

References

• taunt at OneLook Dictionary Search
• taunt in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.