French word

lurette

Pronunciation

IPA/lyʁɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine nouna long time

Example

Il y a belle lurette que nous ne sommes pas allés au cinéma.

It has been a long time since we went to the movies.

Illustration for lurette (a long time)

More examples

Ça fait belle lurette que tu es parti.

It's been ages since you left.

Core concept

A point far back on the timeline, separated from the present by a long stretch.

Common phrases

  • ça fait belle lurette

    It's been ages

Similar words

bail: A long stretch of time, used in casual conversation.

Definition in French

S'utilise surtout dans les tournures figées « il y a belle lurette » ou « ça fait belle lurette que… » pour dire qu'un événement remonte à une époque lointaine.

Word origin

Lurette is generally explained as a dialectal alteration of heurette, a diminutive of heure, later fixed in the expression belle lurette.

Usage tips

  • Lurette is chiefly colloquial and occurs in fixed phrases such as il y a belle lurette, rather than as an ordinary standalone noun.

Word lists with this word