What does punted mean?
Punted is the past tense and past participle of punt, a verb with several distinct uses. In American football and rugby, it means that a player has kicked the ball with the foot, usually to send it a considerable distance downfield. In a traditional British context, punting means propelling a flat-bottomed boat or raft across shallow water with a long pole. In modern informal English, to punt something means to defer, avoid, or pass responsibility for it to someone else or to a later time; this usage is especially frequent in business and institutional settings. The word can also function as an adjective, as in a punted ball. Punting is distinctive because it links physical actions involving the foot and a pole with the modern figurative idea of putting off an obligation.
To kick or propel a ball with the foot; to propel a flat-bottomed boat with a pole; or informally, to defer or avoid an unwanted responsibility.
"The player punted the ball on the fourth down."
The final, figurative sense is informal and is common in American business, institutional, and political speech.
Having been punted, especially a ball that has been kicked with the foot.
"The punted ball traveled nearly fifty yards."
This participial use is particularly common in American football and rugby.
Before it meant kicking a football or dodging a responsibility, a punt was a flat-bottomed boat propelled across shallow water with a pole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does punted come from?
Punted is formed from punt, whose original sense was a flat-bottomed boat propelled with a pole. The word entered English through Dutch, where punt referred to such a boat, and ultimately derives from Latin ponto, associated with a flat-bottomed vessel or a bridge. The verb senses developed by extension: using a punt to propel a boat, using the foot to propel a ball, and later, informally, putting off an unpleasant task or responsibility.
Related word forms
How punted is actually used
The sports sense is common in American football and also occurs in rugby and other kicking games. The sense meaning to avoid or defer a responsibility is informal and is especially common in business, institutional, and political contexts. British usage of punt for propelling a boat is traditional but comparatively specialized.
Easily confused with punted
Punted is the past tense and past participle of punt, whereas a punnet is a small basket or container, especially one used for fruit, vegetables, or strawberries.