French Conversation · Level 65
60 words
French word
maladresse
Pronunciation
IPA/maladʁɛs/
Meaning
- feminine nounclumsiness
Example
Sa maladresse a fait tomber le verre.
His clumsiness caused the glass to fall.
More examples
J'ai commis une maladresse en répondant au message.
I made a blunder while replying to the message.
Core concept
A poorly controlled action that knocks something over or produces a minor social blunder.
Common phrases
commettre une maladresse
make a blunder
une maladresse
a blunder
Similar words
gaucherie: Awkwardness in handling things or moving naturally.
étourderie: A tendency to make mistakes through forgetfulness or carelessness.
Definition in French
Tendance à manquer d'habileté dans les gestes ou les interactions, entraînant des erreurs ou des incidents mineurs.
Word origin
The French formation joins mal-, expressing something bad or faulty, to adresse, whose older sense was skill or dexterity.
Usage tips
- Par maladresse means through clumsiness or by mistake and commonly explains how an unintended incident happened.