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French–English dictionary

Look up a French word and see what it means in English — with pronunciation, part of speech and example sentences, not just a bare equivalent.

All French words, A–Z

emphatique
Affectedly grand, solemn or self-important.
empiéter
(intransitive) To become apparent in an unwelcome way, to be forcibly imposed; to jut in, to intrude (on or into). [from 16th c.]
empiler
(transitive) To gather into a bunch.
empire
A German empire, kingdom or nation; its territory or government.
empirer
(transitive) To make worse (a problem, bad situation, negative feeling, etc.).
emplacement
A particular point or place in physical space.
emplâtre
A soft, moist mass, usually wrapped in cloth and warmed, that is applied topically to a sore, aching or lesioned part of the body to soothe it.
emplir
To occupy fully, to take up all of.
emploi
The occupation or work for which one is used, and often paid.
emploi du temps
A list of planned events.
employé
A person who provides labor to a company or another person.
employé de maison
Something that serves an ancillary function, such as an easel for a painter.
employée
A person who provides labor to a company or another person.
employer
(transitive, idiomatic) To apply; to employ something to achieve an intended effect.
employeur
A person, firm or other entity which pays for or hires the services of another person.
employeuse
A person, firm or other entity which pays for or hires the services of another person.
emplumé
(poetic) Covered or adorned with something, as if with feathers.
empocher
(billiards, snooker, pool) To cause a ball to go into one of the pockets of the table; to complete a shot.
empoigner
(intransitive) To make a sudden grasping or clutching motion (at something).
empois
(countable) Any of various starch-like substances used as a laundry stiffener.
empoisonnement
The administration of a poison.
empoisonner
(transitive) To cause to become much worse.
empoisonneur
A person who poisons something or someone.
empoisonneuse
A person who poisons something or someone.
emporte-pièce
A device used to cut flattened dough into shapes before baking.
emporter
(transitive) To charm, delight or captivate.
emportiérer
(transitive, cycling) To cause a collision by opening the door of a vehicle in front of an oncoming cyclist or pedestrian.
empoté
Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.
empourprer
(intransitive) To become red or pink in the face (and sometimes experience an associated feeling of warmth), especially due to shyness, love, shame, excitement, or embarrassment.
empreinte
The mark or impression left by a foot; a track.
empreinte de pied
The impression of the foot in a soft substance such as sand or snow.
empreinte écologique
A measure of how much biologically productive land and water area an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates using prevailing technology and resource management practices.
empressement
Eagerness; liveliness; enthusiasm.
emprise
(uncountable) The state of being under the control of another person.
emprisonné
Not free to move.
emprisonnement
The state of being entrapped.
emprisonner
(transitive) To put in or as if in prison; confine somebody against their will.
emprunt
(law, banking, finance) A sum of money or other property that a natural or legal person borrows from another with the condition that it be returned or repaid over time or at a later date (sometimes with interest).
emprunter
To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
emprunteur
One who borrows.
emprunteuse
One who borrows.
Empyrée
Of the sky or the heavens, and particularly relating to the highest celestial sphere in premodern cosmology; celestially refined.
ému
Emotionally moved (by), made to feel emotion (by).
émulateur
A person or thing that emulates.
émulation
(computing) Execution of a program or other software designed for a different system, by simulating parts of the other system.
émulatrice
A person or thing that emulates.
émuler
To emulate, copy, imitate
émulsifier; émulsionner
(transitive) To make into an emulsion.
émulsion
A stable suspension of small droplets of one liquid in another with which it is immiscible.
en
In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
en abondance
(postpositive) In abundance. [from late 17th c.]
en alerte
Vigilant or on one's guard against danger or difficulty.
en amont
Up a slope, towards higher ground.
en apesanteur
Not affected by gravity.
en apparence
Seemingly; in appearance.
en approche
Incoming.
en argent
Made from silver.
en arrière
(archaic, Geordie) Towards the back or rear; backwards. [First attested prior to 1150.]
en arrière de
(nautical) Behind; toward the stern relative to some other object or position; aft of. [First attested around the late 15th century.]
en arrière-plan
(computing) A type of activity on a computer that is not normally visible to the user.
en attendant
During the time that something is happening, often specifically in a different place.
en aval
Down a slope.
en avance
At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
en avant
(nautical) At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).
en avoir marre
(informal, idiomatic) Frustrated, annoyed, or tired, to the limit of one's endurance, especially by something that one has experienced for too long. [with with or (British English) of]
en avoir ras-le-bol
(informal, idiomatic) Frustrated, annoyed, or tired, to the limit of one's endurance, especially by something that one has experienced for too long. [with with or (British English) of]
en bas
On or to a lower storey.
en béton
(figuratively) Having no weak points or flaws.
en bois
Made of wood.
en bonne forme
In good shape; physically well.
en boucle
(frequency) Recurring regularly.
en bourgeois
(usually, of a police officer) Wearing ordinary civilian clothes instead of a uniform, in order to avoid detection.
en boyau
Made of gut.
en bref
(idiomatic) In summary; briefly or simply.
en brique
(colloquial, AAVE, New York, of weather) Extremely cold.
en chef
(sometimes, _, postpositive) Applied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent. [from 14th c.]
en civil
(usually, of a police officer) Wearing ordinary civilian clothes instead of a uniform, in order to avoid detection.
en colère
Displaying or feeling anger.
en conformité avec
In conformance to, or in agreement with; used with to.
en conséquence
(manner) Agreeably; correspondingly; suitably
en couleur
Conveying color, as opposed to shades of gray.
en cours
(figurative) In motion; in action; astir; stirring; in progress.
en cristal
(uncountable) A fine type of glassware, or the material used to make it.
en d'autres termes
(conjunctive, idiomatic) Stated or interpreted another way; Used to introduce an explanation, simplification, or clarification.
en danger
In a state or condition marked by a level of risk or vulnerability.
en dehors de
Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, (archaic) with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, "except one that", "except such that".
en dentelle
Made of lace or decorated with it.
en dépit de
In spite of, despite.
en dernier
(sequence) after everything else; finally
en dessous
On or to a lower storey.
en dessous de la ceinture
(by extension, idiomatic) Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.
en dessous de la moyenne
Of less than a traditional or accepted standard.
en détresse
Anxious or uneasy.
en développement
Of a country: becoming economically more mature or advanced; becoming industrialized.
en diable
(vulgar, sometimes, _, offensive) Used as an intensifier.
en difficulté
(figurative) Beset by trouble or difficulty.
en direct
(broadcasting) Being broadcast ("on the air"), as it happens.
en direction du sud
Which is (or will be) travelling south.
en effet
(modal) Truly; in fact; actually.
en érection
(of body parts) Rigid, firm; standing out perpendicularly, especially as the result of stimulation.
en essence
in essence
en étain
Made of tin.
en état de navigabilité
(nautical) Fit for service at sea.
en état de naviguer
(nautical) Fit for service at sea.
en éveil
Vigilant or on one's guard against danger or difficulty.
en excès
More than is normal, necessary or specified.
en face
At or near the front part of (something).
en face de
Located before, ahead of, previous to (someone or something).
en faire trop
(transitive) To give (someone or something) too much work; to require too much effort or strength of (someone); to use up too much of (something).
en faire une jaunisse
(transitive) To affect with jaundice; to color by prejudice or envy; to prejudice. [from 1791]
en fait
(modal) In act or in fact; really; in truth; positively.
en fin de compte
(idiom) Used to relate to all the parts of something: altogether, on the whole
en finir
(intransitive, transitive, legal, US) To complete one's active advocacy in a trial or other proceeding, and thus to wait for the outcome (however, one is still generally available to answer questions, etc.)
en fleur
Opening in blossoms; flowering.
en fleurs
(uncountable) The opening of flowers in general; the state of blossoming or of having the flowers open.
en fonction de
A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.
en fonds
Wealthy or well off.
en général
In general; as a whole.
en grande partie
(idiomatic) In most aspects; mostly; generally.
en gros
Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.
en habit bourgeois
(usually, of a police officer) Wearing ordinary civilian clothes instead of a uniform, in order to avoid detection.
en haillons
Rent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.
en haut
Directly overhead; vertically on top of. [first attested before 1150.]
en haut de
(literary, _, or, _, archaic) On, to, or at the top.
en l'air
Above, overhead, in a high place; up.
en l'an de grâce
(often, punctuated) Initialism of Anno Domini (borrowed from Latin); in the year of our Lord.
en laine
Made of wool.
en laiton
(music) A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound; a band or the section of an orchestra that features such instruments.
en lambeaux
In tatters, having the texture broken.
en lieu sûr
Properly secured.
en live
(broadcasting) Being broadcast ("on the air"), as it happens.
en loques
Rent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.
en marche
(computing) Functional; working.
en même temps
On the whole; with everything considered.
en moins
(informal) Short, insufficient or less than.
en montée
Up a slope, towards higher ground.
en morceaux
Excluded from consideration.
en nage
Covered in sweat.
en or
Made of, or relating to, gold.
en ordre
Demonstrating a consistent set of rules; showing order, evenness of operation or occurrence. [from 16th c.]
en outre
(conjunctive) Also; in addition.
en particulier
(focus) Particularly; to a greater extent than is normal.
en partie
To a partial degree or extent, incompletely.
en passant
An incidental remark to a person next to one made discreetly but not in private, audible only to that person. (theatre) A brief comment by a character addressing the audience, unheard by other characters.
en permanence
(duration, idiomatic) All the time, or seemingly all the time; constantly.
en personne
With one's own body and physical presence; not through media, a representative, or indirectly.
en pièces
Excluded from consideration.
en pierre
Constructed of stone.
en plein air
Situated in, designed to be used in, or carried on in the open air. [from 18th c.]
en plus
(idiomatic) In addition to what has been said; furthermore; moreover.

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