French word

heurter

Pronunciation

IPA/œʁte/

Meaning

  • verbhit

Example

La voiture a heurté un arbre.

The car hit a tree.

Illustration for heurter (hit)

More examples

Je n'ai pas voulu heurter sa sensibilité.

I didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

Core concept

A moving body strikes an obstacle and sends a jolt through the contact.

Common phrases

  • heurter un mur

    hit a wall

  • heurter la sensibilité de quelqu'un

    hurt someone's feelings

Similar words

cogner: Striking against something or someone with force produces pain and shock.
bousculer: Jostling someone can move them and cause a light impact.
percuter: Ramming into something with force can cause serious damage.
tamponner: Colliding with another vehicle from behind can leave dents or damage.

Definition in French

Subir ou provoquer un choc en entrant en contact brusque avec quelque chose ou quelqu'un ; s'emploie pour des collisions physiques et, au figuré, pour la rencontre d'un obstacle.

Word origin

Heurter comes from Old French hurter, probably from a Germanic verb meaning 'to strike'.

Usage tips

  • Heurter takes a direct object for a collision, whereas English hurt more often means cause pain or injury.

Other meanings

  • bumpverb
  • collideverb
  • hurtverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word