flaunt

flaunt
flaunt, flout
The two words are unrelated. To flaunt means ‘to display ostentatiously’:

• Women should have it both ways —they should be able to flaunt their sexuality and be taken seriously —E. Wurtzel, 1998.

To flout means ‘to show contempt for (a rule, the law, etc.)’:

• Countries engage in covert activities because they do not want to flout the rules openly —Encounter, 1987.

The confusion, apart from the similarities of sound, may be due to the notion of conspicuousness common to both actions, and it is noteworthy that flaunt is used mistakenly to mean flout but the reverse does not occur:

• ☒ By flaunting these rules, Hongkong and Shanghai have challenged the Bank's authority —Daily Telegraph, 1981

• ☒ The fact that a shop so close to the scene of the tragic crash is still flaunting licensing laws will no doubt cause more outrage —Hastings Observer, 2007.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Flaunt — is a monthly American fashion culture magazine founded by the current editor in chief, Luis Barajas, and creative director, Jim Turner, also the founders of Detour magazine. Long Nguyen, a third founder and style director, also was working on… …   Wikipedia

  • flaunt´er — flaunt «flnt, flahnt», verb, noun. –v.t. to show off; try to impress others with; display ostentatiously or obtrusively: »She flaunts her riches before her friends. SYNONYM(S): flourish, obtrude. –v.i. 1. to parade oneself boastfully, impudently …   Useful english dictionary

  • flaunt — [ flɔnt ] verb transitive to deliberately try to make people notice your possessions, beauty, abilities, etc., because you want them to admire you: Lawrence didn t flaunt his wealth; he lived a simple life. flaunt yourself: Models flaunted… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Flaunt — (fl[aum]nt or fl[add]nt; 277), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Flaunted}; p. pr. & vb. n.. {Flaunting}.] [Cf. dial. G. flandern to flutter, wave; perh. akin to E. flatter, flutter.] To throw or spread out; to flutter; to move ostentatiously; as, a flaunting …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Flaunt — Flaunt, v. t. To display ostentatiously; to make an impudent show of. If you ve got it, flaunt it. [1913 Webster +PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Flaunt It — may refer to:*Flaunt It (album), a 1986 album by Sigue Sigue Sputnik *Flaunt It (song), a 2006 song by TV Rock …   Wikipedia

  • flaunt — flaunt·er; flaunt·ing·ly; flaunt; …   English syllables

  • flaunt — ► VERB ▪ display ostentatiously. USAGE It is a common error to use flaunt when flout is intended. Flaunt means ‘display ostentatiously’, while flout means ‘openly disregard (a rule or convention)’. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • flaunt´i|ly — flaunt|y «FLN tee, FLAHN », adjective. flaunting; showy. –flaunt´i|ly, adverb. –flaunt´i|ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • flaunt|y — «FLN tee, FLAHN », adjective. flaunting; showy. –flaunt´i|ly, adverb. –flaunt´i|ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

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