All 13 Uses of
taunt
in
The Odyssey
- With this
he nonchalantly drew his hand from Antinous' hand
while the suitors, busy feasting in the halls,
mocked and taunted him, flinging insults now.†p. 103.6taunted = intentionally angered, challenged, or upset
- Pallas Athena, harboring kindness for the hero,
drifted a heavy mist around him, shielding him
from any swaggering islander who'd cross his path,
provoke him with taunts and search out who he was.†p. 180.1taunts = (verb) intentionally angers, challenges, or upsets someone OR (noun) insults or other actions intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- "Laodamas,"
quick to the mark Odysseus countered sharply,
"why do you taunt me so with such a challenge?†p. 196.5taunt = (verb) to intentionally anger, challenge, or upset someone -- especially by mocking them or hurling insults OR (noun) an insult or other action intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- I'm no stranger to sports—for all your taunts—
I've held my place in the front ranks, I tell you,
long as I could trust to my youth and striving hands.†p. 197.4taunts = (verb) intentionally angers, challenges, or upsets someone OR (noun) insults or other actions intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- But once offshore as far as a man's shout can carry,
I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts:
'So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew
you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave—
you with your brute force!†p. 226.5
- They threw themselves in the labor, rowed on fast
but once we'd plowed the breakers twice as far,
again I began to taunt the Cyclops—men around me
trying to check me, calm me, left and right:
'So headstrong—why?†p. 226.9taunt = (verb) to intentionally anger, challenge, or upset someone -- especially by mocking them or hurling insults OR (noun) an insult or other action intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- So they taunted, and I replied in deep despair,
'A mutinous crew undid me—that and a cruel sleep.†p. 232.7 *taunted = intentionally angered, challenged, or upset
- Wild, reckless taunts—and just as he passed Odysseus
the idiot lurched out with a heel and kicked his hip
but he couldn't knock the beggar off the path,
he stood his ground so staunchly.†p. 361.9taunts = (verb) intentionally angers, challenges, or upsets someone OR (noun) insults or other actions intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- She was the one who mocked her king and taunted,
"Cock of the walk, did someone beat your brains out?†p. 386.4taunted = intentionally angered, challenged, or upset
- And because you shrink from their taunts, their wicked barbs,
you will not let them wash you.†p. 402.5taunts = (verb) intentionally angers, challenges, or upsets someone OR (noun) insults or other actions intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
- I'll defend you from all their taunts and blows,
these young bucks.†p. 419.1
- A suitor would glance at his neighbor, jeering, taunting,
"Look at our connoisseur of bows!"†p. 437.3taunting = intentionally angering, challenging, or upsetting
- No,
we attacked him, blows and insults flying fast,
and he took it all for a time, in his own house,
all the taunts and blows—he had a heart of iron.†p. 473.6taunts = (verb) intentionally angers, challenges, or upsets someone OR (noun) insults or other actions intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone
Definitions:
-
(1)
(taunt) to intentionally anger, challenge, or upset someone -- especially by mocking them or hurling insults
or (as a noun): an insult or other action intended to anger, challenge, or upset someone -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely, taunt can be used as a noun to refer to something said or done to mock, criticize, and/or tease.