French word

envoler

Pronunciation

IPA/ɑ̃vole/

Meaning

  • verbtake off

Example

L'oiseau s'envole.

The bird takes off.

Illustration for envoler (take off)

More examples

Les prix s'envolent.

Prices are soaring.

Core concept

Something rises into flight and soon becomes distant from its original position.

Common phrases

  • s'envoler

    take flight

  • les prix s'envolent

    Prices soar

Similar words

voler: To travel through the air or be airborne.
décoller: To leave the ground or a runway and begin a flight.
partir: To go away from a place after setting out.

Definition in French

Commencer à voler ou s'éloigner en volant, le plus souvent employé sous la forme pronominale s'envoler.

Word origin

French envoler developed from en- plus voler 'to fly', and voler continues the Latin verb volare; envol is from the same historical family.

Usage tips

  • In s'envoler, voler means 'to fly', not 'to steal', and the pronominal form makes the intended sense clear.

Other meanings

  • skyrocketverb
  • fly awayverb

Opposites

Related words

  • envoltakeoffnoun
  • envoléesurgenoun

Word lists with this word