The use of flout where one might expect to see flaunt does occur on occasion, although it is considerably less common. When Miss Smith went to Mudge recently to market a load of watermelons she was asked why she did not marry. She flouted her calico skirt, and, with a contemptuous air, replied: “Men is no ‘count an’ mean.”—Anaconda Standard (Anaconda, MT), 9 Sept. 1899 Once the use of flaunt to mean “to treat contemptuously” took off, it proved very difficult to convince people that they should not use the word in this fashion (usage guides have been scolding people about this for a number of decades now). Although the original senses of each word are not synonymous, they each do have connotations of disapproval, and each one describes an action.
Sure! As a teacher in grade 6, I’d be happy to explain the meanings of the words “flaunt” and “flout” with a touch of humor. Here are 10 sentences for each word:
Flaunt:
- Sarah decided to flaunt her new neon sneakers at school, hoping to blind everyone with her fabulous fashion choice.
- The peacock flaunted its vibrant feathers, showing off its natural bling to attract a potential mate.
- Mark couldn’t resist flaunting his knowledge of multiplication tables by answering every question in class with lightning speed.
- Emily wanted to flaunt her artistic skills, so she painted a stunning mural on her bedroom wall.
- The celebrity arrived at the red carpet event, ready to flaunt their designer outfit and steal the spotlight.
- James thought he could flaunt his dance moves at the party, but he ended up tripping over his own feet.
- The restaurateur opened a new eatery and decided to flaunt their culinary expertise by serving extravagant dishes with edible gold.
- Jenny loves to flaunt her sense of humor, always cracking jokes and making everyone around her laugh.
- The car enthusiast couldn’t help but flaunt his vintage automobile collection, inviting friends over for garage tours.
- Despite her humble nature, Mary couldn’t resist flaunting her homemade cookies, which were always a hit at bake sales.
Flout:
- Tommy decided to flout his mom’s instructions to finish his homework and instead played video games all night.
- The rebellious teenager loved to flout the school dress code by wearing ripped jeans and band t-shirts.
- The daredevil skateboarder decided to flout gravity by attempting a jaw-dropping jump over a row of parked cars.
- Despite the no-smoking sign, a group of teenagers chose to flout the rules and lit up cigarettes in the restroom.
- The mischievous student couldn’t resist flouting the teacher’s authority by passing notes during the lesson.
- The billionaire businessman thought he could flout the law by evading taxes and hiding his wealth offshore.
- The rowdy fans at the concert decided to flout the security measures and climbed over the barricades to get closer to the stage.
- Despite being warned about the consequences, the reckless driver continued to flout traffic laws and speed through red lights.
- The pirate captain openly flouted the maritime laws, plundering ships and amassing a treasure trove.
- The company CEO was caught flouting ethical standards by embezzling funds and engaging in fraudulent activities.
Remember, using humor is a great way to make learning fun!