French word

poing

Pronunciation

IPA/pwɛ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounfist

Example

Il a fermé le poing.

He clenched his fist.

Illustration for poing (fist)

More examples

Elle a serré le poing en signe de colère.

She clenched her fist in anger.

Core concept

The fingers folded tightly into the palm, forming a concentrated block of physical or figurative force.

Common phrases

  • serrer le poing

    clench one's fist

  • lever le poing

    raise one's fist

  • fermer le poing

    close one's fist

Similar words

main: The body part at the end of the arm, including the palm and five fingers.
coup: A single blow or impact against a person or object.
poignet: The joint connecting the hand to the forearm.
poignée: A handle used to grip a door, drawer, or similar object.

Definition in French

Main fermée qui concentre la force des doigts et de la paume, utilisée aussi au sens figuré pour la puissance ou la colère.

Word origin

French poing inherited its form from Latin pugnus through the Old French word poing.

Usage tips

  • The final g in poing is silent, and poing and poings have the same pronunciation.

Opposites

  • main ouverteopen handnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word