French word

freiner

Pronunciation

IPA/fʁene/

Meaning

  • verbbrake

Example

Tu dois freiner tout de suite.

You have to brake right away.

Illustration for freiner (brake)

More examples

Le conducteur a dû freiner pour éviter un piéton.

The driver had to brake to avoid a pedestrian.

Core concept

Applying resistance to motion so momentum weakens and movement moves toward a stop.

Common phrases

  • freiner brusquement

    brake abruptly

  • freiner fort

    brake hard

  • freiner la voiture

    brake the car

Similar words

ralentir: To reduce the speed or pace of something.
arrêter: To stop something that is in motion completely.
bloquer: To obstruct a passage or mechanism and halt movement or progress.
empêcher: To keep an action or event from occurring beforehand.

Definition in French

Mettre en action un frein pour réduire ou arrêter un mouvement ; s'emploie aussi au figuré pour freiner une tendance ou une progression.

Word origin

French freiner formed from frein with the verb ending -er, while frein came through Old French from Latin frenum, meaning a restraint.

Usage tips

  • Unlike simple slowing, freiner often suggests deliberate intervention, as in freiner une tendance or freiner la progression.

Other meanings

  • slow downverb
  • curbverb

Opposites

Related words

  • freinagebrakingnoun
  • freinérestrainedadjective

Word lists with this word