French word

fi

Pronunciation

IPA/fi/

Meaning

  • interjectionew

Example

Fi ! C'est dégoûtant.

Ew! That's disgusting.

Illustration for fi (ew)

More examples

Fi, laisse-moi tranquille.

Ugh, leave me alone.

Core concept

A tiny verbal recoil at something objectionable.

Similar words

beurk: A short cry of strong disgust at a smell, taste, or something dirty.
pff: A brief breath expressing exasperation or dissatisfaction.
pouah: A short, exaggerated cry of intense disgust.
bah: A brief sound expressing mild dismissal or indifference.

Definition in French

Exprime le dégoût ou la désapprobation, prononcée seule comme « fi ! ».

Word origin

The French interjection fi comes from Old French fi and preserves its earlier use for expressing disgust or mild blame.

Usage tips

  • Fi is common in dialogue, storytelling, and theatrical language but is less usual in spontaneous casual conversation than beurk.

Opposites

Word lists with this word