taunt

A taunt is a mean or hurtful comment that someone says to another person on purpose. It's often said to make the other person feel bad about themselves.

Taunts are usually verbal insults or teasing that are meant to belittle or mock someone. You might hear it in everyday conversations, like between friends who are joking around and pushing each other's buttons, or even in more serious situations where people use taunts as a form of bullying. For example, if you're on a playground and someone is making fun of your shirt by saying "Oh look, you're wearing that ugly thing again," it could be considered a taunt.

In some cases, the word 'taunt' can also be used to describe a physical action that's meant to provoke or annoy someone. For example, if two kids are playing tug-of-war and one of them keeps pulling on the rope to make the other team struggle, that might be seen as a form of taunting.