French Conversation · Level 17
90 words
French word
noircir
Pronunciation
IPA/nwaʁsiʁ/
Meaning
- verbblacken
Example
La fumée noircit le mur.
The smoke blackens the wall.
More examples
Ses mains se sont noircies en bricolant.
His hands turned black while working on a DIY project.
Core concept
A black coating spreads over a surface, or the surface itself grows darker.
Common phrases
se noircir les mains
have one's hands turn black
noircir le mur
blacken the wall
se noircir le visage
have one's face turn black
Similar words
salir: To soil something by putting dirt or debris on it.
tacher: To leave a stain or mark on a surface.
brûler: To blacken or char a surface with fire or heat.
foncer: To darken a color throughout.
Definition in French
Faire devenir noir; couvrir d'une substance noire ou devenir plus foncé.
Word origin
Noircir is formed from noir, meaning 'black,' with the verb-forming suffix -ir; noir ultimately comes from Latin niger.
Usage tips
- Noircir can be transitive or intransitive: pollution blackens facades, while pierre noircit means that stone darkens.
Other meanings
- darkenverb
- fill inverb
- defameverb
Opposites
- éclaircirlightenverb
Related words
- noircissementblackeningnoun
- noircissantblackeningadjective