French Conversation · Level 123
59 words
French word
épouvanter
Pronunciation
IPA/epuvɑ̃te/
Meaning
- verbscare
Example
Cette histoire m'épouvante.
This story scares me.
More examples
Il a voulu épouvanter les enfants avec son déguisement.
He wanted to terrify the children with his costume.
Core concept
A terrifying sight jolting a person into a trembling recoil.
Common phrases
épouvanter quelqu'un
terrify someone
s'épouvanter
be terrified
Similar words
effrayer: To cause someone to feel frightened or startled.
faire peur: To make someone afraid.
terroriser: To keep someone in a state of intense fear.
intimider: To make someone feel afraid and less confident through threatening behavior.
Definition in French
Causer chez quelqu'un un effroi violent au point de le faire tressaillir.
Word origin
Épouvanter was formed from the noun épouvante with the verb ending -er, while épouvante continues Old French espovente related to Latin expavere.
Usage tips
- Épouvanter takes the frightened person as a direct object, as in épouvanter quelqu'un, while the frightening thing is the subject.
Other meanings
- horrifyverb
- terrifyverb
Related words
- épouvanteterrornoun
- épouvantableterrifyingadjective
- épouvantéterrifiedadjective