French word

mariolle

Pronunciation

IPA/maʁjɔl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrascal

Example

Arrête, petit mariolle !

Stop it, you little rascal!

Illustration for mariolle (rascal)

More examples

Pendant la réunion, il faisait le mariolle et tout le monde le regardait.

During the meeting, he was clowning around, and everyone was watching him.

Core concept

A teasing rascal whose little schemes are more cheeky than seriously harmful.

Common phrases

  • faire le mariolle

    clown around

Similar words

coquin: A cheeky, mischievous person with a playful sense of fun.
espiègle: An inquisitive, innocent person who gets into harmless mischief.
farceur: Someone who enjoys practical jokes and comic setups.
blagueur: Someone who entertains others with jokes and light-hearted quips.

Definition in French

Personne qui aime faire des plaisanteries et de petites ruses pour taquiner, en langage familier.

Word origin

French mariolle developed as a colloquial noun in a family that includes regional forms such as mariol and mariolo, but the evidence does not establish a deeper source.

Usage tips

  • In petit mariolle, petit can make the teasing sound affectionate or dismissive depending on the context.

Other meanings

  • wise guynoun

Opposites

  • personne sérieuseserious personnoun

Word lists with this word