French Conversation · Level 127
45 words
French word
méfier
Pronunciation
IPA/mefje/
Meaning
- verbbe wary of ___
Example
Je me méfie de cette information.
I am wary of this information.
More examples
Je me méfie de cette personne.
I am wary of this person.
Core concept
A person keeps a cautious distance from someone or something before granting it trust.
Common phrases
se méfier de
be wary of ___
se méfier de quelqu'un
be wary of someone
se méfier des inconnus
be wary of strangers
Similar words
se défier: Not trusting someone and looking at them with suspicion.
douter: Questioning the truth of information or the reality of an event.
soupçonner: Suspecting someone of having done something wrong.
éviter: Staying away from someone or something.
Definition in French
Exprime la méfiance envers quelqu'un ou quelque chose, donc le fait d'éviter d'accorder sa confiance.
Word origin
French méfier comes from Old French mesfier, formed with the negative prefix mes- and fier, from Latin fidere, 'to trust'.
Usage tips
- The verb is pronominal and takes de for its object, as in se méfier de cette information.
Other meanings
- distrust ___verb
Opposites
- faire confiancetrustverb
- se fier àrely onverb
Related words
- méfiancewarinessnoun
- méfiantwaryadjective