tut-tut

IPA/tʌt/
IPA/tʌt/

tut-tut — exclamation

1. said or written to show mild disapproval, especially when you think someone's be

1.exclamationB2
Definition

said or written to show mild disapproval, especially when you think someone's behavior is silly, rude, or not acceptable.

Example

Tut-tut, you promised your mother you would be home by ten.

Tut-tut, + direct rebuke

Aunt Rosa looked at the muddy shoes and said, "Tut-tut, not on my clean floor."

quoted exclamation before a warning

Common collocations
  • say "tut-tut"
  • a tut-tut voice
  • "tut-tut," she said
Synonyms
  • tsk

    a short sound of disapproval, often sharper and less playful

  • tsk-tsk

    very close in meaning, but often sounds more playful in modern English

  • shame on you

    much more direct and blaming than mild tut-tut

Grammar Patterns

Tut-tut, + rebuke or warning

say "Tut-tut" + when someone behaves badly

Usage Note

Often sounds mild, old-fashioned, or half-humorous rather than fiercely angry. Distinguish from the verb sense: this sense is the actual spoken reaction itself, not the act of making it.

Common Mistakes

I felt tut-tut after his joke.
I said "tut-tut" after his joke.' / 'I felt disapproving after his joke.
use this sense for the spoken reaction, not for a feeling.
Tut-tut him for being late.
Say "tut-tut" to him for being late.' / 'Tut-tut at him for being late.
the bare exclamation is not used as a direct object verb.

tut-tut — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

"Tut-tut" shows mild disapproval, often with an old-fashioned or playful flavor. "Tsk" is a shorter sound and can feel sharper or more impatient, especially when someone makes a small mistake. "Tsk-tsk" is very close to "tut-tut," but modern speakers often use it a little more jokingly. "Shame on you" is much stronger because it openly blames the other person instead of just making a disapproving sound. "Oh dear" is different again: it often shows concern, surprise, or gentle regret rather than telling someone their behavior was wrong. If a child tracks mud across the floor, an older relative might say "Tut-tut." If a friend acts cruelly, "Shame on you" fits better.

tsk ↗tsk-tskshame on youoh dear ↗

Etymology

English

"Tut-tut" is an imitative English expression based on the small clicking or breathy sound people make to show disapproval. It grew from the shorter form "tut" and became a repeated form because repeating the sound makes the reaction clearer in speech and writing. The verb developed later from that spoken reaction, meaning "to make that sound" or "to speak in that disapproving way."

First known use

1566

1566, in the meaning defined above Verb