French Conversation · Level 108
60 words
French word
miner
Pronunciation
IPA/mine/
Meaning
- verbundermine
Example
La maladie a miné sa confiance en lui.
The illness undermined his self-confidence.
More examples
Ils ont miné la montagne pour extraire du charbon.
They mined the mountain to extract coal.
Core concept
A hidden tunnel steadily eats into the support above it, leaving the whole structure weaker.
Common phrases
miner la confiance
undermine confidence
miner le moral
undermine morale
Similar words
affaiblir: Make something less strong or less effective.
saper: Undermine a base or authority little by little.
ronger: Eat away at something internally until it is damaged.
détériorer: Cause something to decline in condition or quality.
Definition in French
Creuser et fouiller pour extraire des minerais ; au sens figuré, saper progressivement la solidité, la santé ou la confiance d'une personne ou d'une chose.
Word origin
French miner derives from mine, a mine, and originally referred to digging through a mine before extending to gradual weakening from within.
Usage tips
- As a transitive verb, miner takes a direct object, as in miner la confiance de quelqu'un.