French Conversation · Level 124
58 words
French word
fusiller
Pronunciation
IPA/fyzije/
Meaning
- verbshoot
Example
Le prisonnier a été fusillé.
The prisoner was shot.
More examples
Des manifestants ont été fusillés pendant la répression.
The protesters were shot during the crackdown.
Core concept
A firing squad raises its rifles in a controlled line and delivers a decisive volley at the prisoner.
Common phrases
fusiller quelqu'un
shoot someone
être fusillé par la police
be shot by the police
Similar words
tuer: Cause someone or something to die.
assassiner: Kill someone deliberately, often secretly or for political reasons.
exécuter: Officially put someone to death under a sentence or order.
abattre: Shoot and kill a person or animal.
Definition in French
Exécuter quelqu'un au moyen d'armes à feu, notamment par un peloton d'exécution.
Word origin
Fusiller is formed from fusil, meaning firearm, whose Old French forms such as fuzil and fuseil ultimately relate to Latin focile, a fire-making tool.
Usage tips
- Fusiller takes a direct object, and its common passive pattern is être fusillé, as in Le prisonnier a été fusillé.