Tout
/taʊt/
verbnounB2
Definition
As a verb, tout means to talk about something in a very positive way to get others interested or to sell it. People often tout products, ideas, or services to make them seem valuable or important. As a noun, a tout is someone who does this, sometimes in a way that feels too forceful or annoying.
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See It in Action
Verb: To promote or praise something publicly to sell or make it popular.
- •The company touted its new phone as the best on the market.
- •She touted the benefits of the healthy diet to her friends.
- •Politicians often tout their achievements during campaigns.
Noun: A person who tries to sell or promote something, often in a pushy way.
- •The ticket tout was selling seats outside the concert.
- •Beware of touts who offer fake products on the street.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "tout" like "say" or "talk," but much stronger and more about praising or selling.
- ✓Picture a busy market where a seller loudly tells everyone how great their apples are, trying to get them to buy.
- ✓It's the feeling when someone tries hard to get you interested in something by saying many good things about it.
- ✓Sounds like "shout" → imagine someone shouting loudly to get attention and tell people to buy or like something.
- ✓In stories or movies, a tout might be a person outside a stadium offering tickets loudly.
- ✓NOT like "whisper" (quiet and soft), "tout" is loud, clear, and meant to attract attention.
- ✓NOT like "complain" (talk negatively), "tout" means to speak positively.
- ✓NOT like "advertise" (formal and planned), "tout" can be informal and sometimes pushy or annoying.
Try Other Words
- •Promote: to support or encourage something publicly (Use when the action is positive and not pushy)
- •Advertise: to show or tell about something to sell it (Use for formal or planned marketing)
- •Praise: to say good things about someone or something (Use when focusing on positive descriptions without selling)
- •Sell: to exchange something for money (Use when focusing on the action of selling, not just talking about it)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "tout" is a single root word with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Old French "touter" meaning to call or shout
- •Historical development: Originally meant to call out or shout to attract attention, later came to mean promoting or selling loudly
- •Modern usage: Used to describe both positive promotion and sometimes annoying or aggressive selling tactics
Reflect & Connect
•How do you feel when someone touts a product to you? Does it make you trust the product more or less?
•Can touting be helpful in everyday life, or is it always a bit too much? When might it be useful?
Fill in the blanks
1.The salesman touted the new phone’s ___ features to attract customers.
2.When someone touts a product, they usually want you to ___ it quickly.
3.Unlike quietly telling a friend about a good movie, to tout means to ___ it loudly and clearly.
4.The ticket tout was standing outside the stadium, trying to ___ tickets to fans.
5.Politicians often tout their achievements ___ during election campaigns.
6.If someone is too pushy when they tout, people might feel ___ or annoyed.
7.When a company touts a product, it often focuses on the ___ benefits and ignores the negatives.