French Conversation · Level 89
60 words
French word
massacrer
Pronunciation
IPA/masakʁe/
Meaning
- verbslaughter
Example
Ils ont massacré toute la population.
They slaughtered the entire population.
More examples
Les supporters ont vu leur équipe se faire massacrer.
The fans saw their team get thrashed.
Core concept
A force tears through a group, leaving widespread destruction, and can likewise ruin a creative work.
Common phrases
massacrer un film
pan a film
se faire massacrer
get thrashed
Similar words
tuer: To take the life of a person or animal.
assassiner: To kill a person with a specific aim or plan.
abattre: To kill a person or animal with a gun or blade.
éliminer: To kill something harmful or obstructive to remove it.
Definition in French
Signifie commettre un massacre ; s'emploie aussi au sens figuré pour démolir sévèrement une œuvre ou infliger une défaite écrasante.
Word origin
Massacrer was formed from the noun massacre with the productive French ending -er, while massacre belongs to medieval French and Provençal vocabulary for slaughter.
Usage tips
- In figurative use, massacrer une chanson or un texte means to handle it disastrously, not merely to criticize it.