French Conversation · Level 117
58 words
French word
lâche
Pronunciation
IPA/laʃ/
Meaning
- adjectivecowardly
Example
Il est lâche.
He is cowardly.
More examples
Ce qu'il a fait est un geste lâche.
What he did was a cowardly act.
Core concept
A resolve slackening under fear and giving way to dishonourable conduct.
Common phrases
un geste lâche
a cowardly act
comportement lâche
cowardly behavior
Similar words
couard: Overcome by fear and unable to take courageous action.
peureux: Easily frightened by danger or anything scary, with a tendency to avoid it.
trouillard: Colloquially very timid, quick to get scared and run away or back off.
poltron: Cowardly and inclined to avoid situations requiring responsibility.
Definition in French
Qui manque de courage; peut aussi qualifier une action jugée déloyale ou indigne.
Word origin
French lâche comes through Old French from Latin laxus, meaning 'loose', with the sense developing from weakened firmness to cowardice and moral baseness.
Usage tips
- As a noun, un lâche means 'a coward' and is a strong personal insult, while the adjective can also judge an act as dishonourable.