French word

grouillant

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁujɑ̃/

Meaning

  • adjectivebustling

Example

Le marché est grouillant ce matin.

The market is bustling this morning.

Illustration for grouillant (bustling)

More examples

La foule était grouillante devant la scène.

The crowd was bustling in front of the stage.

Core concept

A crowded place where people and things move constantly in many directions, creating restless visual disorder.

Common phrases

  • foule grouillante

    bustling crowd

  • plage grouillante

    bustling beach

Similar words

animé: Lively and bustling, with plenty of energy and activity.
bondé: Packed with people or things, leaving little room to move.

Definition in French

Qui, par sa foule ou par son agitation, donne l'impression d'un mouvement continu et désordonné.

Word origin

Grouillant comes from French grouiller, an expressive verb for teeming or wriggling movement, with the present-participle ending -ant.

Usage tips

  • Grouillant often appears in the pattern grouillant de, as in une rue grouillante de monde, to specify what fills the place.

Other meanings

  • teemingverb

Opposites

Related words

  • grouillerwriggleverb
  • grouillementbustlenoun

Word lists with this word