IPA: /flaʊt/
KK: /flaʊt/
To openly disregard or show contempt for rules, laws, or conventions.
He decided to flout the dress code by wearing jeans to the formal event.
Past: flouted
Past Participle: flouted
A disrespectful action or comment that shows a lack of respect for rules or authority.
His flout of the school's dress code got him in trouble with the principal.
To openly disregard or show disrespect for a rule, law, or convention.
Many people choose to flout the dress code at the event.
Past: flouted
Past Participle: flouted
Flout originates from Middle English 'flouten', meaning to mock or treat with disdain. The word does not have clear roots in Latin or Greek, but it is believed to be of imitative origin, possibly related to the sound of scoffing or derision.
Think of someone mocking or treating another with disdain, which helps you remember that to flout means to openly disregard or scorn.