troll
B2Informal/Neutral (for online sense); Formal/Neutral (for folklore/fishing senses)
Definition
Meaning
A person who deliberately posts provocative, offensive, or disruptive content online to provoke an emotional reaction or derail discussions.
1. To act as a troll online; to deliberately provoke others online. 2. (Folklore/Mythology) An ugly, cave-dwelling, supernatural being in Scandinavian folklore, often depicted as large, strong, and slow-witted. 3. (Fishing) To trail a baited line behind a moving boat.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's primary modern meaning derives from the verb sense 'to fish by trailing a line' via the internet slang 'trolling for newbies' (i.e., fishing for naïve responses). The folklore meaning is the original but is now less frequent in everyday use than the internet sense.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage for the primary internet sense. The fishing sense is more common in North American English (especially 'trolling for salmon').
Connotations
Universally negative for the internet sense. The folklore sense is neutral/descriptive.
Frequency
The internet sense is dominant in both varieties. The fishing term is more regionally specific to areas with that type of fishing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] trolls [object (person/forum)][subject] is trolling[subject] is a trollVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't feed the trolls. (advice to ignore online provocateurs)”
- “trolling for a reaction”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in discussions of social media management, online reputation, and cybersecurity risks (e.g., 'We need a policy for dealing with trolls on our corporate page.').
Academic
Used in media studies, sociology, and psychology papers examining online antisocial behaviour and disinformation campaigns.
Everyday
Very common in discussions about social media, forums, and online comments (e.g., 'That commenter is just a troll.').
Technical
Used in IT and community moderation contexts to label accounts or behaviours that violate platform rules through deliberate provocation.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was banned for trolling other users on the forum.
- Don't troll people just because you're bored.
American English
- They spent the evening trolling the political subreddit.
- He's just trolling for a reaction—don't reply.
adverb
British English
- He commented trollishly on every post.
- (Rarely used as a pure adverb.)
American English
- He acted trollishly during the live stream.
- (Rarely used as a pure adverb.)
adjective
British English
- That was a classic troll post.
- His trolling comments got him suspended.
American English
- She runs a troll account on Twitter.
- The forum has a serious trolling problem.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The troll in the story was big and scary.
- He is not nice; he is a troll online.
- If you see a troll, it's best not to reply.
- Some people troll others to make them angry.
- The moderator quickly identified the troll and deleted their inflammatory posts.
- Trolling has become a significant problem on many social media platforms.
- The investigation revealed a coordinated trolling operation aimed at swaying public opinion.
- Her thesis analysed the psychological profiles of persistent internet trolls.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TROLL under a BRIDGE in a fairy tale, trying to provoke and scare passers-by. An internet TROLL hides under the 'bridge' of anonymity to provoke and upset people online.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTERNET PROVOCATION IS FISHING (trolling for reactions). A DISRUPTIVE PERSON IS A MONSTER (from folklore).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'тролль' (troll') which is a direct borrowing and carries the same modern meaning. The false friend is the unrelated word 'троллейбус' (trolleybus). The folklore creature is 'тролль' or 'великан' (giant).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'troll' as a synonym for any critic or opponent (a troll is specifically *deliberately* provocative).
- Confusing the verb 'to troll' with 'to patrol'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is the LEAST likely meaning of 'troll' in modern English?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when referring to a person or their online actions, it is always negative. The folklore and fishing senses are neutral.
A troll primarily seeks to provoke chaos, argument, or emotional reaction, often for their own amusement. A cyberbully specifically aims to harm, threaten, or intimidate a particular target. There can be overlap.
It evolved from the fishing term 'trolling' (dragging bait). In 1990s internet slang, 'trolling for newbies' meant posting provocative content to 'fish for' naive responses from newcomers.
Yes, very commonly. E.g., 'He trolls political forums.' or 'Stop trolling.'