Literary notes about taunt (AI summary)
The word “taunt” in literature operates as a sharp instrument of provocation, capable of conveying both overt disdain and a subtler, more corrosive form of insult. Often, it is wielded by characters as a verbal barb intended to wound or challenge—demonstrated when a character endures a bitter remark that stings long after it is uttered [1] or when a retort is crafted to incite an adversary’s ire [2]. At times, “taunt” is even ascribed to inanimate forces or circumstances, as in landscapes that seem to mock the weary traveler with their unyielding abundance [3]. Across epic narratives and intimate dramas alike, this term enriches dialogue by encapsulating the complexities of conflict, pride, and retribution [4][5].
- The taunt burned into him, but he let it pass.
— from Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - and remember that I spit upon your fair words and false dealings, and dare you—provoke you—taunt you—to do to me the very worst you can!’
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - The demon plant, appearing to live without soil or rain, seems to taunt the parched traveller with its lush grey greenness.
— from Heart of the West [Annotated] by O. Henry - This bitter taunt galled the soul of Manfred.
— from The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole - And then that she should taunt him with it, that he could not escape!
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence
