French word

assommer

Pronunciation

IPA/asome/

Meaning

  • verbknock out

Example

Le boxeur a assommé son adversaire.

The boxer knocked out his opponent.

Illustration for assommer (knock out)

More examples

Le spectacle m'a assommé, je me suis ennuyé.

The show bored me, and I got bored.

Core concept

A person suddenly flattened by a heavy impact, whether the force is a punch, a flood of words, or crushing news.

Common phrases

  • se faire assommer

    get knocked out

  • assommer quelqu'un de questions

    bombard ___ with questions

Similar words

étourdir: Make someone briefly dizzy or confused.
sonner: Make someone lose consciousness with a single hard blow.
frapper: Hit someone with a hand or object, causing pain or injury.
terrasser: Drain someone's strength and bring them down.

Definition in French

Assommer signifie frapper quelqu'un jusqu'à perte de connaissance et, par extension, abattre ou écraser moralement.

Word origin

French assommer comes through Old French assomer, whose early sense involved striking; the physical sense later broadened to effects that overwhelm the mind or morale.

Usage tips

  • In assommer quelqu'un de questions or de compliments, de marks a barrage that overwhelms someone rather than a literal blow.

Other meanings

  • boreverb
  • overwhelmverb

Opposites

Related words

  • assommantboringadjective
  • assomméunconsciousadjective

Word lists with this word