French Conversation · Level 28
89 words
French word
aigre
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛgʁ/
Meaning
- adjectivesour
Example
Ce citron est aigre.
This lemon is sour.
More examples
Son ton était aigre pendant la réunion.
His tone was sour during the meeting.
Core concept
A sharp, sour quality in taste or in a person's outward manner.
Common phrases
goût aigre
sour taste
ton aigre
sour tone
Similar words
acide: Having an acidic quality or an acid-like taste.
acidulé: Slightly tart with a light, fresh taste.
amer: Lacking sweetness and leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.
vinaigré: Having a distinct, pronounced vinegar-like sourness.
Definition in French
Qui a une saveur acide; employé aussi pour décrire un ton, une remarque ou une personne d'allure froide et acerbe.
Word origin
Aigre comes through Old French from Latin acer, 'sharp'; the physical sense of sharp taste later supported its figurative sense of harshness.
Usage tips
- Aigre has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns, as in un goût aigre and une odeur aigre; the plural is aigres.
Other meanings
- grumpyadjective
Opposites
- sucrésweetadjective
Related words
- aigreursournessnoun
- aigriembitteredadjective