Flout — C2 Vocabulary
To break or ignore a rule, law, or custom openly and deliberately.
Quick Answer
Flout means to break a rule openly. You flout the law, the rules, or convention. Think: to flout is to defy on purpose.
Example: They openly flout the parking rules.
Flout in 3 Sentences
Read these three sentences. Notice how flout is used:
- They openly flout the parking rules. (break them deliberately)
- The company flouted safety regulations for years. (ignored the rules)
- He flouts convention by wearing trainers to court. (defies custom openly)
A Quick Tip About FLOUT
Flout and flaunt are a classic trap. Flout = break the rules. Flaunt = show off. “Flout the rules” is correct; “flaunt the rules” is the mistake almost everyone makes.
Saying “flaunt” when you mean break a rule
✗ Drivers who flaunt the speed limit get fined.
✓ Drivers who flout the speed limit get fined.
Easy way to remember: to flOUT is to break OUT of the rules. Flout rhymes with “shout” — you loudly defy.
Practice all Flaunt vs Flout
Now practise flout together with the other words in this topic. Use Study, Practice, Flashcards, and Review.
Flaunt vs Flout
Master flaunt and flout — a C2 pair that even well-educated writers confuse. Flaunt is to show off; flout is to break the rules.
Study Cards
Read the word, look at the picture, and say the example sentence.
Quick Practice
Choose the word that completes the sentence.
1 of 2
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Flashcards
Look at the picture first, then tap the card to check the word.
Spaced Review
Review cards today, then let the queue bring them back later.
Test Yourself: Flout
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. Drivers who ______ the speed limit face heavy fines.
2. Which word means “to break a rule openly”?
3. The factory ______ environmental laws for years.
4. To ______ convention is to defy accepted custom.
5. Protesters openly ______ the ban on gatherings.
Other Flaunt vs Flout to Learn
Pick another word from this lesson — small steps add up fast.
Keep Going — One Word, Many Wins
You just learned flout — and mastered a pair that trips up even professional editors. You now know that people flout rules and flaunt wealth.
English is full of these near-identical traps — discreet vs discrete, elicit vs illicit, principal vs principle. Each one is a small badge of a truly proficient writer. Which will you master next?
Next lesson: Flaunt — C2 Vocabulary
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