Both Uses of
taunt
in
The Mysterious Benedict Society
- His own parents were never known to him, and so he didn't miss them in particular, but on rainy days, or days when other children taunted him, or nights when he awoke from a bad dream and could use a hug and perhaps a story to lull him back to sleep — at times like these he didn't miss his parents, exactly, but he did wish for them.†
p. 53.5taunted = intentionally angered, challenged, or upset
- Taunted and bullied, ridiculed and abused by other children.†
p. 240.6 *
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.