French word

poindre

Pronunciation

IPA/pwɛ̃dʁ/

Meaning

  • verbappear

Example

L'aube pointe.

Dawn is breaking.

Illustration for poindre (appear)

More examples

On voit poindre les premiers signes de fatigue.

You can see the first signs of fatigue beginning to appear.

Core concept

A faint point breaks through a covering and gradually comes into view.

Similar words

commencer: Start to take place or come into being.
apparaître: Come into view or become apparent.

Definition in French

Devenir visible ou perceptible peu à peu, marquer le début d'une apparition ou d'un sentiment.

Word origin

French poindre descends through Old French from Latin pungere, "to prick" or "pierce," extending the idea of a point pushing through to something beginning to appear.

Usage tips

  • Poindre has a literary or formal tone and is less common in everyday speech than commencer or apparaître.

Other meanings

  • sproutverb

Opposites

  • s'effacerfade awayverb

Word lists with this word