troll
troll Lexical Profile
troll Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who intentionally posts inflammatory, insincere, or off-topic messages in an online community with the aim of provoking readers into an emotional response or disrupting normal discussion.
"The forum moderators quickly banned the troll who kept posting inflammatory remarks to derail the discussion."
In Scandinavian folklore and fantasy literature, a supernatural creature depicted either as a giant, brutish monster dwelling in caves and mountains or as a mischievous, diminutive humanoid.
"In the classic Norwegian folktale, a grumpy troll lives beneath the wooden bridge and challenges anyone who tries to cross."
The act of fishing by trailing a baited line behind a slowly moving boat, or the fishing lure and line used in this method.
"After a two-hour troll along the edge of the reef, the anglers finally hooked a king mackerel."
• verb
To deliberately provoke, antagonize, or deceive others online by posting inflammatory, digressive, or insincere content; more broadly, to prank or wind someone up.
"Critics accused the commentator of trying to troll the audience with outrageous claims rather than engaging in serious debate."
To fish by drawing a baited line or lure through the water, typically behind a slowly moving boat.
"We decided to troll for lake trout along the deep drop-off near the northern shore."
To search through or wander around a place or collection of items systematically in hopes of finding something.
"Historians often troll through municipal archives looking for overlooked letters and property deeds."
To sing a song or melody in a full, jovial voice, or in succession as a round or catch.
"The choir gathered in the hall to troll the traditional Yuletide carol."
Word Nuance & Usage
In fishing and metaphorical searching contexts, 'troll' (trailing a baited line) is often confused with 'trawl' (dragging a large net along the sea floor).
• Rhymes for troll
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The mythological sense was borrowed in the early 17th century from Old Norse 'troll', denoting a giant, demon, or fiend. The verb meaning to wander or fish with a moving line derives from Middle English 'trollen' and Old French 'troller' (to wander in search of game), which later gave rise to the modern internet sense of baiting others online.