French word

surnommer

Pronunciation

IPA/syʁnome/

Meaning

  • verbgive ___ a nickname

Example

On surnomme souvent mon frère 'le chef'.

People often give my brother the nickname 'the chef'.

Illustration for surnommer (give ___ a nickname)

More examples

Il s'est fait surnommer 'le malin' au lycée.

He was nicknamed "the sly one" in high school.

Core concept

A spoken tag that can replace a person's proper name and mark affection, familiarity, or teasing.

Common phrases

  • se faire surnommer

    be nicknamed

  • surnommer quelqu'un en plaisantant

    nickname someone jokingly

Similar words

appeler: To call someone by a name or other form of address.

Definition in French

Donner à quelqu'un un surnom, souvent familier ou moqueur, employé à la place de son nom propre.

Word origin

Surnommer is an Old French formation from sur- and nommer, whose deeper source is Latin nominare; the added prefix signals an additional name.

Usage tips

  • Surnommer often carries a familiar or teasing tone, so a nickname that sounds friendly in private can seem disrespectful in a formal setting.

Other meanings

  • call ___ by a nicknameverb

Related words

Word lists with this word