French Conversation · Level 160
30 words
French word
malencontreux
Pronunciation
IPA/malɑ̃kɔ̃tʁø/
Meaning
- adjectiveunfortunate
Example
Le moment était malencontreux.
The timing was unfortunate.
More examples
Un commentaire malencontreux a gêné la conversation.
An out-of-place comment made the conversation awkward.
Core concept
An event arriving at the wrong moment and turning an ordinary situation into a difficulty.
Common phrases
commentaire malencontreux
out-of-place comment
réplique malencontreuse
out-of-place reply
Similar words
gênant: Making a situation awkward or causing people trouble.
malheureux: Unlucky or regrettable because of a poor, unexpected result.
embarrassant: Causing embarrassment, shame, or social discomfort.
Definition in French
Qui arrive à un moment inopportun et crée une gêne ou une complication.
Word origin
Malencontreux comes from Old French malencontre, formed from mal and encontre for an unfortunate encounter, with the suffix -eux.
Usage tips
- Malencontreux is relatively formal or literary, while conversation often uses "ça tombe mal" or "ce n'est pas le bon moment."
Other meanings
- unluckyadjective
- ill-timedadjective
Opposites
- favorablefavorableadjective