adj
taut
tawt
adj
1
Pulled or stretched tight, with no slack.
"He pulled the rope taut before tying it off."
"The sail was taut against the wind."
2
Firm and toned, without excess softness — describing muscles or a body.
"Years of training had left her stomach taut and strong."
3
Tense with anxiety or nervous strain.
"The room fell into a taut silence as the results were read out."
4
Tightly controlled and free of excess, especially describing writing or plotting.
"The thriller was praised for its taut, economical prose."
How to Use Taut
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishStretched tight — physically (a rope, a body) or figuratively (tense nerves, tightly controlled writing).
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "taught" (the past tense of teach) — they sound identical but are unrelated in meaning.
Easily confused with
taught
Common pairings
pull taut
a taut thriller
taut muscles
Word Forms
tauter comparative, tauted past tense, tauts singular, tautest superlative
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He pulled the rope _____ before tying it off.
Etymology
From Middle English forms related to tough and to the verb "to draw or pull tight" — its spelling and sense later merged with those roots.