French word

fainéant

Pronunciation

IPA/feneɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlazybones

Example

Mon frère est un fainéant.

My brother is a lazybones.

Illustration for fainéant (lazybones)

More examples

Hier, il a passé toute la journée à faire le fainéant.

Yesterday, he spent the whole day lazing around.

Core concept

A person who dodges tasks and effort, leaving work undone.

Common phrases

  • faire le fainéant

    laze around

  • être un fainéant

    be a lazy person

Similar words

paresseux: A lazy person unwilling to work or get moving.
flemmard: A slacker who lacks motivation and puts off work or action.
glandeur: A loafer who wastes time hanging around.

Definition in French

Personne qui évite le travail et l'effort, considérée comme paresseuse.

Word origin

Fainéant comes from the Old French expression fait néant, meaning 'does nothing', which contracted into a noun for an idle person.

Usage tips

  • Fainéant is a stronger and more reproachful word than paresseux, though it can also sound humorous among familiar speakers.

Other meanings

  • lazyadjective

Opposites

  • travailleurindustrious personnoun
  • bosseurhardworking personnoun

Related words

  • fainéanterloaf aroundverb
  • fainéantiseidlenessnoun
  • fainéantementin a lazy manneradverb

Word lists with this word