{"id":118000,"date":"2023-05-16T16:33:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T20:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/advanced-french-words\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:57:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:57:01","slug":"advanced-french-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/advanced-french-words\/","title":{"rendered":"70 Advanced French Vocabulary Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that you\u2019ve got your grammar down pat, we can bring back the excitement with some challenging vocabulary, including advanced French verbs, adjectives<\/a> and expressions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll look at a list of truly grown-up French words, ranging from the tricky, to the slightly naughty, to the very, very French.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Verbs<\/h2>\n

1. Aboutir \u00e0 <\/em><\/h3>\n

To end up with, to lead to.<\/strong> Just like English, French has lots of ways to describe causality.<\/p>\n

La r\u00e9union a\u00a0abouti \u00e0 un compromis.
\n<\/em>(The meeting led to\u00a0a compromise.)<\/p>\n

2. Affirmer que <\/em><\/h3>\n

To affirm, say with certainty.<\/strong> Looking for some alternatives to dire<\/em> (to say)? Try this one for added emphasis.<\/p>\n

Il\u00a0<\/span>affirme que les commer\u00e7ants de la region s\u2019en sortent \u00ab plut\u00f4t bien \u00bb cette ann\u00e9e.
\n<\/em>(He affirms that the region\u2019s shopkeepers are doing \u201cpretty well\u201d this year.)<\/p>\n

3. Affubler <\/em><\/h3>\n

To get up in or to deck oneself out in <\/strong>(referring to an article or articles of clothing). Instead of using\u00a0habiller\u00a0<\/em>(to dress) or s\u2019habiller <\/em>(to dress oneself), why not add a bit more color to your French and test out\u00a0affubler?<\/em><\/p>\n

Marie affublait sa petite fille de robe de princesse pour aller au cin\u00e9ma. <\/em>
\n(Marie decked her little girl out in a princess dress to go to the movie theater.)<\/p>\n

A secondary definition is to ridicule.<\/strong> It\u2019s the more metaphorical, abstract version of the first. Instead of dressing someone (or oneself) in clothing, it refers to \u201cdressing someone up\u201d with a moniker that is demeaning.<\/p>\n

Je n\u2019oserais pas vous affubler d\u2019un tel qualificatif.
\n<\/em>(I wouldn\u2019t dare call you such a thing.)<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a thing\u201d here could be along the lines of \u201cdoofus,\u201d \u201cjerk,\u201d etc.<\/p>\n

4. Amener \u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n

To bring about.<\/strong> Not to be confused with mener \u00e0<\/em>, for which see below.<\/p>\n

Ce travail est destin\u00e9 \u00e0 amener les changements. <\/em>
\n(This work is destined to bring about changes.)<\/p>\n

5. Apercevoir <\/em><\/h3>\n

To catch sight of, to glimpse.<\/strong> When\u00a0voir\u00a0<\/em>(to see) is just too straightforward, get this irregular verb up in your vocab.<\/p>\n

Si tu vas en Californie, tu\u00a0apercevras\u00a0des\u00a0c\u00e9l\u00e9brit\u00e9s.
\n<\/em>(If you go to California, you will catch sight of celebrities.)<\/p>\n

6. Atteindre <\/em><\/h3>\n

To reach, to get to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ma m\u00e8re atteindra ses 60 ans l\u2019ann\u00e9e prochaine.
\n<\/em>(My mom will be 60 years old next year.)<\/p>\n

7. Constituer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To make up or constitute.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cette loi constitue une avanc\u00e9e majeure pour les droits de l\u2019homme.
\n<\/em>(This law constitutes a major advancement for human rights.)<\/p>\n

8. Craindre <\/em><\/h3>\n

To be afraid<\/strong>. Avoir peur de\u00a0<\/i>has the same meaning, but this word is easier to throw around once you\u2019ve got the conjugation figured out.<\/b><\/p>\n

Je\u00a0crains\u00a0d\u2019oublier tous ces mots.
\n<\/em>(I\u2019m afraid of forgetting all these words.)<\/p>\n

9. D\u00e9cha\u00eener <\/em><\/h3>\n

To unleash.<\/strong><\/p>\n

En Europe, l\u2019immigration est un sujet qui d\u00e9cha\u00eene les passions.
\n<\/em>(In Europe, immigration is a subject that unleashes passion.)<\/p>\n

Which is to say, it is a widely debated topic.<\/p>\n

10. D\u00e9clencher <\/em><\/h3>\n

To trigger, to set off.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ce genre d\u2019extremisme pourrait d\u00e9clencher une guerre.
\n<\/em>(This kind of extremism could trigger a war.)<\/p>\n

11. D\u00e9culotter <\/em><\/h3>\n

To defeat in an embarrassing or flagrant way<\/strong>. But leave it to French to have a verb that literally translates to taking off someone\u2019s underwear, or \u201cto pants\u201d someone!<\/p>\n

Marc s\u2019est fait d\u00e9culotter par Marie quand elle a expos\u00e9 ses mensonges.
\n<\/em>(Marc was embarrassed by Marie when she exposed his lies.)<\/p>\n

12. Demeurer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To remain, to dwell, to reside.<\/strong><\/p>\n

La musique peut exercer une influence si puissante sur une\u00a0personne qu\u2019elle ne peut qu\u2019en demeurer \u00e9mue.
\n<\/em>(Music can have such a powerful influence on a person that they cannot but be moved.)<\/p>\n

13. D\u00e9roger <\/em><\/h3>\n

To depart from, to contravene the\u00a0status\u00a0quo (or the official terms that have been set).<\/strong>\u00a0France is often referred to as the\u00a0land of bureaucracy<\/a> and d<\/em>\u00e9roger <\/em>is the type of word you\u2019re bound to come across in the small print of a registration form or other official document in the context of law.<\/p>\n

La loi ne peut\u00a0pas\u00a0d\u00e9roger aux dispositions du Pacte.
\n<\/em>(The law cannot depart from the provisions of the agreement.)<\/p>\n

14. Disposer de <\/em><\/h3>\n

To have available, to have at one\u2019s disposal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charles dispose d\u2019assez d\u2019argent pour mener \u00e0 terme son projet.
\n<\/em>(Charles has enough money at his disposal to finish his project.)<\/p>\n

15. \u00c9coper <\/em><\/h3>\n

To bail out water (from a boat).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les marins ont d\u00fb \u00e9coper l\u2019eau de leur bateau pour ne pas couler.
\n<\/em>(The sailors had to bail out water from their boat in order to not sink.)<\/p>\n

To get, to receive.<\/strong>\u00a0In this case, \u00e9coper <\/i>almost always refers to a penalty or a punishment, like a fine.<\/p>\n

Le conducteur a \u00e9cop\u00e9 une amende de 85 dollars pour un exc\u00e8s de vitesse.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(The driver received an 85 dollar fine for going over the speed limit.)<\/p>\n

16. \u00c9moustiller <\/em><\/h3>\n

To excite, to render playful.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00c9moustiller<\/em> is most often used in the context of taste or other sensory pleasures, as in \u00c9moustillez vos papilles!\u00a0<\/em>which literally translates\u00a0to \u201cExcite your taste buds!\u201d<\/a> or \u201cWhet your appetite!\u201d<\/p>\n

Le champagne \u00e9moustilla\u00a0les invit\u00e9s.
\n<\/em>(The champagne excited\/loosened up the guests.)<\/p>\n

Aside from its primary definition, \u00e9moustiller\u00a0<\/i>can also be used in the context of that\u00a0other kind of excitement<\/strong> (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), meaning\u00a0to titillate or\u00a0to arouse.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric n\u2019avait pas manqu\u00e9 l\u2019opportunit\u00e9 d\u2019\u00e9moustiller les rares femmes pr\u00e9sentes au travail.
\n<\/em>(Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric never missed the opportunity to arouse the few women present at work.)<\/p>\n

17. Engendrer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To engender, to bring about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sa duplicit\u00e9\u00a0engendre des conflits dans le groupe.
\n<\/em>(His duplicity engenders conflict in the group.)<\/p>\n

18. Entamer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To start on<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Je vais\u00a0entamer\u00a0mes devoirs ce soir.
\n<\/em>(I\u2019m going to start on my homework tonight.)<\/p>\n

19. Entra\u00eener <\/em><\/h3>\n

To lead to, to involve.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Une\u00a0carence de vitamin C\u00a0peut entra\u00eener des\u00a0infections.
\n<\/em>(A vitamin C deficiency can lead to infections.)<\/p>\n

20. \u00c9prouver <\/em><\/h3>\n

To experience, to feel, to have.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sarah \u00e9prouve toujours des difficult\u00e9s \u00e0 trouver la maison de Jennifer.
\n<\/em>(Sarah always has difficulties finding Jennifer\u2019s house.)<\/p>\n

21. Exister <\/em><\/h3>\n

To exist.<\/strong> Use this when you want to be more formal than il y a <\/em>(there is or there are).<\/p>\n

Il existe plusieurs raisons pour laquelle je ne suis pas all\u00e9e au concert la semaine derni\u00e8re.
\n<\/em>(There are many reasons why I did not go to the concert last week.)<\/p>\n

22. Faire des b\u00eatises <\/em><\/h3>\n

To<\/strong>\u00a0get into mischief, act a fool, make a mess.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elle mange le riz avec un couteau. Elle fait des b\u00eatises!
\n<\/em>(She\u2019s eating the rice with a knife. She\u2019s being foolish!)<\/p>\n

23. Figurer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To appear, to be present.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Votre nom figure sur la liste des adh\u00e9rents.
\n<\/em>(Your name appears on the members list.)<\/p>\n

24. Fuir <\/em><\/h3>\n

Run for the hills! Flee!<\/strong> Hopefully you\u2019ll read this more than speak it, but hey, you never know if you\u2019ll need this for a future career as un espion\u00a0<\/em>(a spy).<\/p>\n

Les abeilles! Il faut fuir!
\n<\/em>(The bees! We must flee!)<\/p>\n

25. G\u00e9mir <\/em><\/h3>\n

To moan or whine. <\/strong>This refers\u00a0to the sound you make when you\u2019re feeling pain, not when you\u2019re complaining that you don\u2019t want to eat your kale.<\/p>\n

Il a\u00a0g\u00e9mi\u00a0quand il a vu qu\u2019il \u00e9tait quatre heures du matin.\u00a0
\n<\/i>(He moaned when he saw that it was four in the morning.)<\/p>\n

26. Mener \u00e0 <\/em><\/h3>\n

To lead to.<\/strong> Similar to amener<\/em>, but in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Cela ne doit pas mener \u00e0 la conclusion\u00a0que la loi est inutile.
\n<\/em>(This should not lead to the conclusion that the law is useless.)<\/p>\n

27. Nouer <\/em><\/h3>\n

To tie or make a knot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Il ne peut pas\u00a0nouer\u00a0ses chaussures ?
\n<\/i>(He can\u2019t tie his shoes?)<\/p>\n

28. Occasionner <\/em><\/h3>\n

To cause, to bring about.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les travaux risquent d\u2019occasionner une g\u00eane aux clients.
\n<\/em>(The construction work might cause a disturbance to the clients.)<\/p>\n

29. Para\u00eetre <\/em><\/h3>\n

To seem like or to appear to be<\/strong>, like its slightly easier-to-pronounce synonym sembler.<\/i><\/p>\n

Cela\u00a0para\u00eet\u00a0\u00e9trange de manger le petit d\u00e9jeuner pendant la nuit, mais j\u2019aime bien.
\n<\/em>(It seems strange to eat breakfast during the night, but\u00a0I like it.)<\/p>\n

30. Peiner <\/em><\/h3>\n

To struggle.<\/strong> Feel free to use this for every struggle in your struggle book, from French vocabulary to accidentally leaving the TV remote in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Je\u00a0peine\u00a0\u00e0 me r\u00e9veiller le matin.
\n<\/em>(I struggle to get up in the morning.)<\/p>\n

31. Poss\u00e9der <\/em><\/h3>\n

To have, to contain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

La maison de Scott et Laura poss\u00e8de un tr\u00e8s beau mobilier.
\n<\/em>(Scott and Laura\u2019s house has very beautiful furnishings.)<\/p>\n

32. Pr\u00e9ciser que <\/em><\/h3>\n

To explain, to clarify.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Le pr\u00e9sident a pr\u00e9cis\u00e9 que la loi ne s\u2019appliquera que l\u2019ann\u00e9e prochaine.
\n<\/em>(The president clarified that the law would only be applied next year.)<\/p>\n

33. Pr\u00e9tendre que <\/em><\/h3>\n

To maintain, to purport, to claim.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les r\u00e9sidents pr\u00e9tendent que le maire a utilis\u00e9 un langage inappropri\u00e9 dans sa r\u00e9ponse lorsqu\u2019il a laiss\u00e9 entendre que les imp\u00f4ts n\u2019augmenteront pas.
\n<\/em>(The residents maintain\u00a0that the mayor used poor word choice in his response because he made it seem that the taxes would not increase.)<\/p>\n

34. Recueillir <\/em><\/h3>\n

To get, to obtain, to receive.<\/strong><\/p>\n

La candidate a recueilli 20% des votes.
\n<\/em>(The candidate has received 20% of the votes.)<\/p>\n

35. Repr\u00e9senter <\/em><\/h3>\n

To depict, show, represent or embody.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les gar\u00e7ons repr\u00e9sentaient moins de 20% de l\u2019ensemble des \u00e9l\u00e8ves.
\n<\/em>(Less than 20% of the students were boys.)<\/p>\n

36. Rester <\/em><\/h3>\n

To remain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les conditions restent favorables.
\n<\/em>(The conditions remain favorable.)<\/p>\n

37. Se diriger <\/em><\/h3>\n

To head for or to move towards.<\/strong> It\u2019s the reflexive of the verb d<\/em>iriger, <\/i>which means to move, guide or manage, and it sometimes includes the preposition vers\u00a0<\/em>(around) in its construction.<\/p>\n

Elle criait, alors je me suis dirig\u00e9e vers la sortie.
\n<\/em>(She was screaming, so I headed for the exit.)<\/p>\n

38. S\u2019agir de <\/em><\/h3>\n

To be, to be about.<\/strong> It\u2019s used in the expression il s\u2019agit de.<\/em><\/p>\n

J\u2019ai lu un article dans lequel il s\u2019agit du gaspillage alimentaire.
\n<\/i>(I read an article that is about wasting food.)<\/p>\n

39. S\u2019\u00e9l\u00e9ver \u00e0 <\/em><\/h3>\n

To come to, to amount to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

La facture s\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8ve \u00e0 200 euros.
\n<\/em>(The bill comes to\u00a0200 euros.)<\/p>\n

40. Souligner que <\/em><\/h3>\n

To emphasize, to stress, to highlight, to underscore.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Le m\u00e9decin a soulign\u00e9 qu\u2019une alimentation trop grasse et sucr\u00e9e est nocive pour la sant\u00e9.
\n<\/em>(The doctor stressed that a diet too fatty and sugary is bad for one\u2019s health.)<\/p>\n

41. Trouver <\/em><\/h3>\n

To find.<\/strong> You can use it literally or figuratively, as in \u201cI find that funny.\u201d It\u2019s more formal than il y a<\/em>, but less than exister<\/em>.<\/p>\n

On trouve plusieurs vari\u00e9t\u00e9s de plantes dans cette for\u00eat.
\n<\/em>One finds several species of plants in this forest.<\/p>\n

42. Valoir <\/em><\/h3>\n

To be worth.<\/strong>\u00a0Use it to talk about how many expensive treasures you have in your closet or use it more figuratively.<\/p>\n

Cette bague vaut plus que ta maison.
\n<\/i>(This ring is worth more than your house.)<\/p>\n

Nouns<\/h2>\n

43. L\u2019Abn\u00e9gation <\/em><\/h3>\n

Self-denial, self-sacrifice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Collette m\u00e8ne son travail de recherche avec beaucoup d’abn\u00e9gation. Sept jours sur sept, elle se l\u00e8ve \u00e0 5h et se couche \u00e0 minuit.
\n<\/em>(Collette is undertaking her research with a lot of self-denial. Seven days a week, she wakes up at 5 in the morning and goes to bed at midnight.)<\/p>\n

44. Le\/La Bisounours <\/em><\/h3>\n

Naive.<\/strong> The connotation is rather pejorative and condescending. A portmanteau of bisou<\/em> (kiss)\u00a0<\/em>and nournours <\/em>(teddy bear),\u00a0bisounours<\/em> was originally used as the French name for the Care Bears franchise (remember Care Bears?!). It has since made its way into everyday life.<\/p>\n

On n\u2019est pas au pays des bisounours!
\n<\/em>(We\u2019re not in la-la land! \/ Get real!)<\/p>\n

45. La Calotte <\/em><\/h3>\n

A skull cap<\/strong> (formally, the Belgian kind) or\u00a0a slap on the head<\/strong> (informally).\u00a0The\u00a0formal French<\/a> version and the informal version of this noun are vastly different!<\/p>\n

Sa m\u00e8re n\u2019aime pas quand elle donne\u00a0une calotte\u00a0\u00e0 son fr\u00e8re.
\n(Her mom doesn\u2019t like when she hits her brother [on the head]).<\/p>\n

46. La Colima\u00e7on <\/em><\/h3>\n

You can use colima\u00e7on\u00a0<\/em>as you would escargot<\/em> or snail<\/strong>\u2014when talking about gardening, or your greatest fears\u2014but when you\u2019re visiting Notre Dame while traveling through France<\/a>, try wowing your tour guide by referencing son escalier en colima\u00e7on \u00a0<\/em>(spiral staircase).<\/p>\n

47. La Contr\u00e9e <\/em><\/h3>\n

Region, land.<\/strong> This word is mostly used in literature.\u00a0<\/em>It\u2019s more \u201cMadame <\/em>Bovary\u201d <\/em>than Elle <\/em>magazine.<\/p>\n

Au printemps, cette contr\u00e9e rev\u00eat un tout autre caract\u00e8re.
\n<\/em>(In spring, the land takes on a whole new character.)<\/p>\n

48. La D\u00e9tente <\/em><\/h3>\n

The<\/strong> relaxation of political tension, <\/strong>or, alternatively, when\u00a0something physically relaxes<\/strong>. It also can translate to mean a gun trigger<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On\u00a0esp\u00e8re qu\u2019un jour on aura une d\u00e9tente entre tous les pays.
\n<\/em>(One hopes that one day there will be a relaxation of tension between all the countries.)<\/p>\n

49. La Kyrielle <\/em><\/h3>\n

Plethora, host, multitude, bunch.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Le r\u00e9pertoire pr\u00e9sente toute une kyrielle d\u2019exemples de strat\u00e9gies fructueuses.
\n<\/em>(The inventory offers a plethora of examples of successful strategies.)<\/p>\n

50. La Lame <\/em><\/h3>\n

Blade<\/strong>. Hopefully it\u2019s not in your vocabulary a whole lot, unless you work in a kitchen, or a\u2026 knife store? But you\u2019ll see it a bit in literature<\/a>, especially if you like adventure novels.<\/p>\n

Ne joue jamais avec une lame!
\n<\/em>(Never play with a blade!)<\/p>\n

51. La \u0152nologie <\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The science of winemaking.<\/strong> (Did you really think you\u2019d get through this post without a wine mention?) A true amateur\u00a0<\/em>(lover) of wine will know that an \u0153nologue<\/em> (a winemaker) is not the same thing as a\u00a0sommelier<\/em> (a wine steward)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apr\u00e8s ses \u00e9tudes d\u2019\u0153nologie, Fran\u00e7ois Raget a accept\u00e9 de diriger l\u2019entreprise familiale.
\n<\/em>(Upon completion of his studies in winemaking, Fran\u00e7ois Raget agreed to run\u00a0the family business.)<\/p>\n

52. Le Parall\u00e9l\u00e9pip\u00e8de <\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Parallelepiped or a solid whose six faces are parallelograms.<\/strong> I know, I know, this isn\u2019t a math blog, but I couldn\u2019t resist throwing this one in for good measure, so to speak.<\/p>\n

Le volume du b\u00e2timent est constitu\u00e9 d\u2019un simple parall\u00e9l\u00e9pip\u00e8de recouvert de panneaux pr\u00e9fabriqu\u00e9s.
\n<\/em>(The volume of the building consists of a parallelepiped covered with prefabricated panels.)<\/p>\n

53. La Quincaillerie <\/em><\/h3>\n

Hardware store.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tu n\u2019as qu\u2019\u00e0 aller \u00e0 la quincaillerie pour acheter de la peinture. <\/em>
\n(All you have to do is go to the hardware store to buy paint.)<\/p>\n

Cheap jewelry, trinket (usually metal).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dimanche dernier nous avons trouv\u00e9 pas mal de quincaillerie au vide grenier.
\n<\/em>(Last Sunday, we found quite a few trinkets at the yard sale.)<\/p>\n

54. Le Raidillon <\/em><\/h3>\n

Slope.<\/strong> This vocabulary word is especially useful if you live in the hills.<\/p>\n

Le raidillon\u00a0l\u00e0-bas est parfait pour faire du skateboard.
\n<\/i>(The slope over there is perfect for skateboarding.)<\/p>\n

55. La Serrurerie <\/em><\/h3>\n

Locksmith\u2019s trade, locksmithing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Les serrures sont des pi\u00e8ces de serrurerie.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(Locks are locksmithing items.)<\/p>\n

Try saying this three times fast!<\/p>\n

Adjectives<\/h2>\n

56. \u00c0 l\u2019abri <\/em><\/h3>\n

Under cover<\/strong>, as in:\u00a0It\u2019s a twister! Get under cover! It\u2019s a monster! Get to safety!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Il arrive; tout le monde trouve un endroit \u00e0 l\u2019abri!
\n<\/em>(He\u2019s coming; everyone find a place under cover!)<\/p>\n

57. Abracadabrant <\/em><\/h3>\n

Bizarre, weird, befuddling.\u00a0<\/strong>This word is a derivative of the magical incantation \u201cAbracadabra.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>I don\u2019t know about you, but I love words that sound\u00a0<\/em>like what they mean.<\/p>\n

Cette histoire est abracadabrante!
\n<\/em>(This story is bizarre!)<\/p>\n

58. Abracadabrantesque <\/em><\/h3>\n

Ludicrous,\u00a0incredible (as in lacking credibility).\u00a0<\/strong>A riff on abracadabrant<\/em>, this is a neologism first used by Arthur Rimbaud and later resuscitated by President Jacques Chirac in a television interview in the year 2000, in reference to accusations of misuse of public funds during his presidency.\u00a0His exact words were:<\/p>\n

Je suis indign\u00e9 par le proc\u00e9d\u00e9, par le mensonge, par l\u2019outrance. Il doit y avoir des limites \u00e0 la calomnie. Aujourd\u2019hui, on rapporte une histoire abracadabrantesque.
\n<\/em>(I am outraged by the behavior [of those here], by the lies, by the excess. There must be limits to slander. Today, we\u2019re brought back to a preposterous story.)<\/p>\n

Today, abracadabrantesque\u00a0<\/em>is used rather playfully in place of abracadabrant<\/em>, as a sort of\u00a0clin d\u2019\u0153il<\/em>\u00a0(wink)\u00a0<\/em>to a very memorable French political scandal.<\/p>\n

59. Argentique <\/em><\/h3>\n

Not digital, analog. <\/strong>This literally translates to \u201csilvery\u201d and refers to photographs or photographic practice with rolls of film.<\/p>\n

Mon professor d\u2019art est de la vieille-\u00e9cole. Il ne fait que la photographie argentique.
\n<\/em>(My art teacher is old school. He only does analog photography.)<\/p>\n

60. Argotique <\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Slangy.<\/strong>\u00a0Ar<\/em>got\u00a0<\/em>is French for \u201cslang.\u201d Argotique <\/em>is\u00a0<\/em>its adjectival form.<\/p>\n

Thomas utilise un langage argotique et parfois j\u2019ai du mal \u00e0 comprendre ce qu\u2019il dit.
\n<\/em>(Thomas uses slangy language and sometimes I have trouble understanding what he says.)<\/p>\n

61. Boursoufl\u00e9 <\/em><\/h3>\n

Swollen, puffed up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arnaud a fait une r\u00e9action allergique, il a la bouche boursoufl\u00e9e.
\n<\/em>(Arnaud had an allergic reaction; his mouth is swollen.)<\/p>\n

62. Digital <\/em><\/h3>\n

Relating to fingers.<\/strong> This is a faux ami<\/em> that always trips up 21st-century French learners.<\/p>\n

Le\u00a0dossier\u00a0contient nos empreintes digitales.\u00a0
\n<\/em>(The file contains our fingerprints.)<\/p>\n

63. Errant <\/em><\/h3>\n

Nomadic or wandering<\/strong>. This comes from the present participle of the verb\u00a0errer\u00a0<\/em>(to wander), so you can use this adjective to describe your international adventures or your eccentric aunt who moves around in her RV every two weeks.<\/p>\n

Je r\u00eave de la vie\u00a0errante.
\n<\/em>(I dream of the nomadic life.)<\/p>\n

64. Ex\u00e9crable <\/em><\/h3>\n

Detestable, appalling, heinous.<\/strong><\/p>\n

L\u2019homme a \u00e9t\u00e9 condamn\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019enfermement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9 pour ses crimes ex\u00e9crables.
\n<\/em>(The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crimes.)<\/p>\n

Obnoxious.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mes enfants sont ex\u00e9crables quand ils ne font pas la sieste.
\n<\/em>(My children are obnoxious when they don\u2019t take a nap.)<\/p>\n

65. Furtif <\/em><\/h3>\n

To be stealthy or secretive. <\/strong>Technically, furtive is an English word as well. It\u2019s not a super common one, but all the same.<\/p>\n

Nous avons besoin de quelqu\u2019un de\u00a0furtif\u00a0pour notre \u00e9quipe.
\n<\/em>(We need someone stealthy for our team.)<\/p>\n

66. Imberbe <\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Beardless, bare-faced<\/strong>\u2014a concise way of saying sans barbe<\/em> (without a beard). This can also be used in a more figurative way to talk about someone (usually a guy) who\u2019s young and naive.<\/p>\n

Depuis son retour d\u2019Allemagne, Charles est imberbe.
\n<\/em>(Since his return from Germany, Charles is clean-shaven.)<\/p>\n

67. Num\u00e9rique <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Digital, as in digital technology.<\/strong> So going back to my earlier photography example,\u00a0un appareil photo num\u00e9rique<\/em>\u00a0(not digital)\u00a0<\/em>refers to a digital camera. Whew.<\/p>\n

Nous vivons dans l\u2019\u00e8re num\u00e9rique.
\n<\/em>(We live in the digital era.)<\/p>\n

68. Rocambolesque <\/em><\/h3>\n

Fantastic, extraordinary, unbelievable.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stella d\u00e9crit l\u2019exp\u00e9rience unique, parfois rocambolesque mais toujours passionnante que repr\u00e9sente la vie d\u2019une cin\u00e9aste allemande en France.
\n<\/em>(Stella describes the unique, sometimes unbelievable, but always passionate life of a German filmmaker in France.)<\/p>\n

Adverbs<\/h2>\n

69. Ainsi <\/em><\/h3>\n

Like this<\/strong> or<\/strong> in this way.<\/strong> It\u2019s a great word to get bossy with\u2014you\u2019ve probably seen this word thrown around once or twice, but kept forgetting to look it up.<\/p>\n

Il faut danser\u00a0ainsi.
\n<\/em>(One must dance like so.)<\/p>\n

70. D\u2019ailleurs <\/em><\/h3>\n

By the way, moreover<\/strong> or<\/strong>\u00a0besides<\/strong>\u2014its literal meaning is \u201cfrom elsewhere.\u201d Need more French filler words<\/a>\u00a0than\u00a0donc\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0alors<\/em>?\u00a0<\/em>Look no further than this favorite.<\/p>\n

D\u2019ailleurs, tu as quelque chose entre tes dents.
\n<\/em>(By the way, you have something between your teeth.)<\/p>\n

Resources to Learn Advanced French Words<\/h2>\n

After going through this list, you might be looking for some ways to practice these words. Get started with these:<\/p>\n