Flout

Pronunciation: /flaʊt/

Definitions of flout

verb to openly disregard or disobey a rule or law

Example Sentences

A1 She flouts the rules by always arriving late to class.

A2 The students flouted the school's dress code by wearing hats indoors.

B1 The company flouted environmental regulations by dumping waste in the river.

B2 The politician was criticized for flouting campaign finance laws.

C1 The wealthy businessman seemed to think he could flout the law with his connections.

C2 Despite warnings, the rebellious group continued to flout the government's authority.

Examples of flout in a Sentence

formal The company decided to take legal action against the competitor who continued to flout intellectual property laws.

informal I can't believe he's still flouting the rules after being warned multiple times.

slang She's always trying to flout the dress code and wear whatever she wants.

figurative His reckless behavior seemed to flout all sense of reason.

Grammatical Forms of flout

• past tense: flouted
• plural: flouts
• comparative: more flout
• superlative: most flout
• present tense: flout
• future tense: will flout
• perfect tense: have flouted
• continuous tense: is flouting
• singular: flout
• positive degree: flout
• infinitive: to flout
• gerund: flouting
• participle: flouted

Origin and Evolution of flout

First Known Use: 1550 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'flout' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old French word 'floter' meaning to play the flute or mock. It was influenced by the Latin word 'flautare' meaning to play the flute.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'flout' shifted in meaning from simply mocking or playing the flute to openly showing contempt or disregard for something or someone. The connotation became more negative and focused on defiance or scorn.