French word

douleur

Pronunciation

IPA/dulœʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpain

Example

Je ressens une douleur dans le dos.

I feel pain in my back.

Illustration for douleur (pain)

More examples

La douleur s'est calmée après le médicament.

The pain subsided after the medication.

Core concept

A hurt that can mark a physical place or weigh on a person's inner life.

Common phrases

  • avoir une douleur

    have pain

  • douleur au dos

    back pain

  • douleur aiguë

    acute pain

Similar words

mal: A general term for pain in a particular part of the body.
souffrance: Deep, prolonged suffering or unbearable pain.
peine: Sadness or emotional distress.
gêne: Mild everyday discomfort or difficulty moving.

Definition in French

Souffrance ressentie, qu'elle soit physique ou morale.

Word origin

French douleur comes from Latin dolor, which referred to physical pain as well as emotional suffering.

Usage tips

  • French commonly uses avoir mal for a current ache, while douleur is frequent in medical and formal descriptions.

Other meanings

  • sufferingnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • douloureuxpainfuladjective
  • douloureusementpainfullyadverb

Word lists with this word