French word

pétarader

Pronunciation

IPA/petaʁade/

Meaning

  • verbbackfire

Example

La voiture pétarade quand j'accélère.

The car backfires when I accelerate.

Illustration for pétarader (backfire)

More examples

Après la réparation, le moteur ne pétarade plus.

After the repair, the engine no longer backfires.

Core concept

A vehicle or machine producing repeated sharp pops from its exhaust or moving parts.

Common phrases

  • commencer à pétarader

    start backfiring

  • arrêter de pétarader

    stop backfiring

Similar words

claquer: Strike forcefully and make a sharp, loud bang.
craquer: Crack or split while making a harsh, rattling sound.
détoner: Make a loud, explosive boom.
exploser: Burst apart with a very loud noise.

Definition in French

Faire une série de bruits explosifs ou de claquements intermittents, par exemple pour un pot d'échappement qui fait des retours de flamme.

Word origin

Pétarader is formed from the noun pétarade with the verb ending -er; pétarade is related to pétard and péter, words associated with bursting sounds.

Usage tips

  • Pétarader is an intransitive -er verb, so the noisy vehicle or machine is the grammatical subject, as in La voiture pétarade.

Other meanings

  • bangverb
  • popverb
  • crackleverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word