French word

louper

Pronunciation

IPA/lupe/

Meaning

  • verbmiss

Example

J'ai loupé le bus ce matin.

I missed the bus this morning.

Illustration for louper (miss)

More examples

Il a loupé une occasion en or hier.

He missed a golden opportunity yesterday.

Core concept

A hand reaches for a moving target, but the target gets away and the intended result is left undone.

Common phrases

  • louper le bus

    miss the bus

  • louper le train

    miss the train

  • louper une occasion

    miss an opportunity

Similar words

rater: To fail to accomplish something attempted.
manquer: To miss transportation or an appointment by being too late.
échouer: To fail in an exam or business venture.

Definition in French

Rater ou manquer quelque chose (une occasion, un transport) ou commettre une erreur ; registre familier.

Word origin

Louper is a colloquial French verb whose precise historical formation is uncertain, but its spoken use became established for missing or failing at something.

Usage tips

  • Louper is informal, so rater is generally safer in formal speech and writing.

Other meanings

  • overlookverb
  • failverb

Opposites

Related words

  • loupéfailurenoun

Word lists with this word