tout

tout — verb

1. to publicly speak about a person, product, or idea in glowing terms — often by r

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to publicly speak about a person, product, or idea in glowing terms — often by repeating their good points — in order to make others believe they are excellent or worth choosing.

例句

Critics touted Mateo's debut novel as the most original Mexican thriller of the decade.

tout sb/sth as sth pattern

The new electric scooter has been touted as a cheap solution to traffic in Taipei.

passive: be touted as sth

同義詞
  • promote

    neutral business term; lacks the loud, repeated quality of 'tout'

  • hail

    more formal and journalistic; usually a one-off public declaration

  • talk up

    informal; suggests inflating value beyond what's deserved

反義詞
  • downplay

    make something sound less important or impressive

  • disparage

    speak about something dismissively, formal

文法句型

tout sb/sth as sth

be touted as sth

tout sth

用法筆記

Frequently passive, especially in journalism: 'X is/has been touted as Y'. Often carries a faint hint of overselling — readers may infer the praise is louder than the evidence supports.

常見錯誤

❌The phone was touted by everyone.
✅The phone was touted as the year's best camera.
💡this sense almost always names what the thing is touted as; bare 'tout' without 'as' sounds incomplete.

2. to keep approaching strangers — often in the street or outside a shop — and pres

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to keep approaching strangers — often in the street or outside a shop — and pressure them to buy what you are selling or to use your service.

例句

Drivers tout for passengers outside the bus station in central Marrakech every evening.

tout for sth (intransitive)

Two men were touting cheap boat trips to tourists along the harbour wall.

tout sth (transitive)

同義詞
  • hawk

    very similar; often suggests carrying small goods around to sell

  • solicit

    more formal; often used of professional services or charity

  • peddle

    implies low-value goods or dubious quality

文法句型

tout sth

tout for sth

用法筆記

Mainly British usage. The activity is often unwanted by the person being approached, so the verb carries a mildly negative tone. 'Tout for trade/business/customers' is a very common fixed phrasing.

常見錯誤

❌He touted me a tour of the city.
✅He kept touting tours of the city to passing tourists.
💡you tout goods or services AT/TO people, not people AT goods.

3. to sell event tickets — for example to a concert or football match — outside the

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

to sell event tickets — for example to a concert or football match — outside the venue without permission, charging buyers far more than the original ticket price.

例句

Two men were arrested for touting Wimbledon tickets at five times the face value.

tout sth (tickets) at + price

Fans had to push past people touting tickets on the steps of the stadium.

同義詞
  • scalp

    American equivalent; same meaning

  • resell

    neutral; doesn't imply illegality or inflated price

文法句型

tout tickets

tout sth (tickets) for/at + price

用法筆記

Almost exclusively British. The American equivalent is 'scalp'. The activity is illegal or restricted in many places, so the verb often appears in news reports and legal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a touted ticket from the official website.
✅I bought a touted ticket from a man outside the gate.
💡touted tickets by definition come from unofficial resellers, not the official seller.

tout — noun