French word

charade

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃaʁad/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncharade

Example

Les enfants aiment inventer une charade simple.

The children like making up a simple charade.

Illustration for charade (charade)

More examples

Il a proposé une charade facile pour détendre l'atmosphère.

He suggested an easy charade to lighten the mood.

Core concept

A puzzle unfolds in parts, with each clue revealing a sound or element before the complete word appears.

Common phrases

  • une charade facile

    an easy charade

  • deviner la charade

    guess the charade

Similar words

devinette: A guessing game based on a short hint or question.
pantomime: A wordless performance that portrays an action or scene through gestures.
rébus: A puzzle using pictures or symbols to represent a word's sounds or meaning.

Definition in French

Jeu où l'on donne des indices pour chaque partie d'un mot (par syllabes ou éléments) afin que les joueurs devinent le mot entier.

Word origin

French charade comes from Occitan charada, a term for playful talk that later developed the sense of a word puzzle.

Usage tips

  • French charade usually means a word puzzle, whereas English charades commonly means a mime game, so the two senses differ.

Word lists with this word