taunt

noun

a battle cry, sarcastic remark, gesture, or insult intended to demoralize the recipient, or to anger them and encourage reactionary behaviors without thinking

Pronunciation: /tɔːnt/ / /tɔnt/ / /tɑnt/

Etymology: Compare Old French tant (“so great”), French tant (“so much”), Latin tantus (“of such size, so great, so much”). See ataunt.

Very high or tall.
“the great ships, for want of ſufficient masts, will lose the advantages the taunt masts would procure”

Etymology: Perhaps a variant of Daunt.

Etymology: From Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

A scornful or mocking remark; a jeer or mockery.
“VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.”
“The attacks and the failure to catch the killer created an atmosphere of fear and dismay throughout Yorkshire, and provoked grim taunts to the police at Leeds United football matches such as “Ripper 10, Police nil””

Etymology: From Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.