Ebb-tide
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C2 noun /ˈeb.taɪd/

Ebb-tide

basse mer
Meaning
the movement of the tide out to sea; a time when the sea level is falling
Example
During ebb-tide, we could walk further out on the beach.
Pendant la basse mer, nous pouvions marcher plus loin sur la plage.
C2 noun /ˈkɔː.seər/

corsair

pirate
Meaning
a pirate, especially one operating along the Mediterranean coasts
Example
The corsair plundered ships along the coast.
Le corsaire a pillé des navires le long de la côte.
C2 noun /ˌskʌlˈdʌɡəri/

skullduggery

supercherie
Meaning
dishonest behavior or activities, often done secretly
Example
The election was full of political skullduggery.
L'élection était pleine de supercheries politiques.
C2 noun /ˌpraɪmoʊˈdʒɛnɪtʃər/

primogeniture

primogéniture
Meaning
The right of the firstborn child to inherit the family estate or title.
Example
Under primogeniture, the eldest son inherited the entire estate.
Sous la primogéniture, le fils aîné a hérité de l'ensemble du domaine.
C2 verb /ˈɪməleɪt/

immolate

immoler
Meaning
To kill or sacrifice, especially by burning.
Example
The protesters threatened to immolate themselves in front of the building.
Les manifestants ont menacé de s'immoler devant le bâtiment.
C2 noun /ˈluː.mən/

lumen

lumen
Meaning
A unit of luminous flux, measuring the amount of visible light emitted by a source.
Example
The bulb produces 800 lumens of light.
L'ampoule produit 800 lumens de lumière.
C2 verb /ˈɔːɡər/

augur

augurer
Meaning
To be a sign of something to come; to predict or foretell.
Example
Dark clouds augur a coming storm.
Des nuages sombres augurent une tempête à venir.
C2 noun /oʊliˈændər/

Oleander

oléandre
Meaning
a poisonous evergreen shrub with clusters of white, pink, or red flowers
Example
The beautiful oleander flowers bloomed in the garden despite their toxic nature.
Les belles fleurs d'oléanre ont fleuri dans le jardin malgré leur nature toxique.
C2 adjective /kəˈmoʊdiəs/

commodious

spacieux
Meaning
spacious and comfortable; having plenty of room
Example
They rented a commodious apartment in the city.
Ils ont loué un appartement spacieux en ville.
C2 noun /ˌbɪbliəʊˈmeɪniə/

bibliomania

bibliomanie
Meaning
An extreme obsession with collecting or possessing books.
Example
His bibliomania led him to fill every room with books.
Sa bibliomanie l'a poussé à remplir chaque pièce de livres.
C2 adjective /njuːˈtoʊniən/

newtonian

relatif aux lois de Newton
Meaning
relating to the laws of motion and gravitation formulated by Sir Isaac Newton
Example
The scientist explained the Newtonian laws of motion.
Le scientifique a expliqué les lois du mouvement newtoniennes.
C2 adjective /boʊˈhiːmiən/

bohemian

bohémien
Meaning
unconventional, artistic, and free-spirited in lifestyle or appearance
Example
She decorated her apartment in a bohemian style with colorful fabrics.
Elle a décoré son appartement dans un style bohémien avec des tissus colorés.
C2 noun /ɪnˈtɜːrmənt/

interment

inhumation
Meaning
The act of burying a dead body in a grave or tomb.
Example
The interment took place at the family cemetery.
L'inhumation a eu lieu au cimetière familial.
C2 noun /ˈfiːəlti/

fealty

fidélité et allégeance
Meaning
loyalty or allegiance, especially to a sovereign or lord
Example
The knight swore fealty to his king.
Le chevalier prêta fidélité à son roi.
C2 adjective /ˌhaɪpərˈkrɪtɪkl/

hypercritical

hypercritique
Meaning
Excessively or unreasonably critical.
Example
The teacher was often hypercritical of small mistakes.
Le professeur était souvent hypercritique envers les petites erreurs.
C2 noun /ˈkɒn.tjʊ.mə.li/

contumely

insulte, mépris
Meaning
insulting or humiliating treatment
Example
He endured the contumely of his colleagues with patience.
Il a supporté le mépris de ses collègues avec patience.
C2 noun /dɪsˈtɛmpər/

distemper

maladie virale affectant les animaux, en particulier les chiens
Meaning
a viral disease affecting animals, especially dogs; also refers to a state of disorder
Example
The dog was diagnosed with distemper and needed immediate care.
Le chien a été diagnostiqué avec la distemper et avait besoin de soins immédiats.
C2 noun /ˌɪndɛnˈteɪʃən/

indentation

indentation
Meaning
A space left at the beginning of a line of text; a notch or deep recess on a surface.
Example
The teacher asked the students to use proper indentation in their essays.
Le professeur a demandé aux élèves d'utiliser une indentation correcte dans leurs essais.
C2 noun /ˌmæk.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

Machination

machination; intrigue;
Meaning
a clever scheme or artful plot, usually with evil intent; crafty designing or plotting
Example
The villain's machinations were finally exposed.
Les machinations du méchant ont finalement été exposées.
C2 noun /əˈpɜːrtənəns/

appurtenance

accessoire / élément supplémentaire
Meaning
an accessory or supplementary part of something
Example
The garage is an appurtenance of the main house.
Le garage est un accessoire de la maison principale.
C2 verb /miːt/

mete

distribuer
Meaning
To dispense or allot justice, punishment, or harsh treatment.
Example
The judge will mete out punishment according to the crime.
Le juge distribuera la punition en fonction du crime.
C2 verb /ˈɛkspieɪt/

expiate

expiation
Meaning
to make amends for guilt or wrongdoing
Example
He tried to expiate his crime by helping the poor.
Il a essayé d'expiation de son crime en aidant les pauvres.
C2 noun /ˈhɔːrs.liːt͡ʃ/

Horse-leach

sangsue de cheval
Meaning
a large species of leech that was traditionally used in veterinary medicine
Example
The veterinarian explained that horse-leach was once commonly used to treat horses.
Le vétérinaire a expliqué que la sangsue de cheval était couramment utilisée pour traiter les chevaux.
C2 verb /dɪˈlæpɪdeɪt/

dilapidate

détériorer
Meaning
To cause something, especially a building, to fall into ruin or disrepair.
Example
The abandoned house began to dilapidate over the years.
La maison abandonnée a commencé à se détériorer au fil des ans.
C2 noun /ˈspuːnərɪzəm/

spoonerism

spounérisme
Meaning
A verbal error in which the initial sounds of words are swapped to create a humorous effect.
Example
He made a spoonerism by saying 'queer old dean' instead of 'dear old queen'.
Il a fait un spounérisme en disant 'vieux doyen bizarre' au lieu de 'vieille reine chère'.
C2 adjective /fəˈsiːʃəs/

facetious

moqueur
Meaning
Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor
Example
He was being facetious when he said he wanted to live on the moon.
Il était moqueur quand il a dit qu'il voulait vivre sur la lune.
C2 noun /ˌɑːrbəˈriːtəm/

arboretum

arborétum
Meaning
a place where trees, shrubs, and plants are grown for scientific study or public display
Example
We visited the city’s arboretum to learn about exotic trees.
Nous avons visité l'arborétum de la ville pour en apprendre davantage sur les arbres exotiques.
C2 noun /ˌɪnjuːˈɛndəʊ/

innuendo

sous-entendu
Meaning
An allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one.
Example
The manager's innuendo was directed towards his competitor.
L'allusion du directeur était dirigée vers son concurrent.
C2 noun /ˌdiːlɛkˈteɪʃən/

delectation

plaisir
Meaning
great pleasure or delight
Example
She read the story aloud for the delectation of her friends.
Elle a lu l'histoire à voix haute pour le plaisir de ses amis.
C2 adjective /trænsˈfjuːzəbl̩/

transfusible

transfusible
Meaning
capable of being transfused, especially referring to blood or fluids
Example
Only transfusible blood types are used in the hospital.
Seuls les groupes sanguins transfusibles sont utilisés à l'hôpital.
C2 noun /krəˈdjuːlɪti/

credulity

crédule
Meaning
A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.
Example
The scam succeeded because of the victim's credulity.
L'escroquerie a réussi en raison de la crédulité de la victime.
C2 adjective /ˌsuːprəˈmʌndeɪn/

supramundane

supramondain
Meaning
beyond the physical or ordinary world; transcendent
Example
The monk spoke of supramundane peace beyond material life.
Le moine a parlé de la paix supramondaine au-delà de la vie matérielle.
C2 adjective /ˈɑːbdjʊrət/

obdurate

obstiné
Meaning
Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.
Example
He remained obdurate despite everyone's pleas.
Il est resté obstiné malgré les suppliques de tout le monde.
C2 verb /kɔːk/

calk

calfeutrer les fissures d'un bateau
Meaning
To make a boat or ship watertight by filling seams or cracks.
Example
The workers calked the seams of the old boat to prevent leaks.
Les ouvriers ont calfeutré les coutures du vieux bateau pour éviter les fuites.
C2 verb /ˌænɪmədˈvɜːt/

animadvert

critiquer
Meaning
To comment critically or unfavorably.
Example
The teacher animadverted on the student's careless mistakes.
Le professeur a critiqué les erreurs négligentes de l'élève.
C2 noun /ɡiː/

Ghee

ghee
Meaning
clarified butter used in South Asian cooking
Example
She used ghee instead of butter for cooking the rice.
Elle a utilisé du ghee au lieu du beurre pour cuisiner le riz.
C2 adjective /dɪˈtɜːrmɪnət/

determinate

déterminé
Meaning
having exact and definite limits or form
Example
The contract is for a determinate period of two years.
Le contrat est pour une période déterminée de deux ans.
C2 noun /ˈrʊkəri/

rookery

nid d'oiseaux
Meaning
a place where rooks or other birds breed and nest in colonies
Example
We saw a rookery full of noisy birds near the forest.
Nous avons vu un nid d'oiseaux plein d'oiseaux bruyants près de la forêt.
C2 verb /ˌdɪspəˈzɛs/

dispossess

déposséder
Meaning
to deprive someone of land, property, or other possessions
Example
The new law threatened to dispossess many farmers of their land.
La nouvelle loi menaçait de déposséder de nombreux agriculteurs de leurs terres.
C2 verb /ˈwɔːbəl/

warble

chanter ou siffler avec une voix tremblante ou des trilles
Meaning
To sing or whistle with a quavering voice or with trills.
Example
The bird warbled a sweet tune in the morning.
L'oiseau a chanté une douce mélodie le matin.
C2 noun /ˈlɪniəmənt/

lineament

caractéristique
Meaning
A distinctive feature or characteristic, especially of the face.
Example
Her delicate lineaments revealed her noble birth.
Ses délicates caractéristiques ont révélé sa noble naissance.
C2 noun /stɒˈkeɪd/

stockade

clôture en bois
Meaning
a defensive barrier made of strong posts or timbers, often around a fort or prison
Example
The prisoners were kept inside the wooden stockade.
Les prisonniers ont été gardés à l'intérieur de la clôture en bois.
C2 adjective /ˌser.ɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/

ceremonious

cérémonieux et poli
Meaning
marked by formality, politeness, or strict observance of customs
Example
He gave her a ceremonious bow before entering the hall.
Il lui a fait une révérence cérémonieuse avant d'entrer dans la salle.
C2 noun /ɡruːəl/

Gruel

bouillie
Meaning
a thin liquid food of oatmeal or another meal boiled in milk or water
Example
The sick patient could only eat gruel.
Le patient malade n'a pu manger que de la bouillie.
C2 noun /ˈɒrɪz(ə)n/

orison

prière
Meaning
a prayer, especially a devout or formal one
Example
He whispered a quiet orison before going to sleep.
Il murmura une prière silencieuse avant de dormir.
C2 adjective /ˌæd.vɛnˈtɪʃ.əs/

adventitious

accidentel
Meaning
Happening by chance or accident, not planned.
Example
His success was partly due to adventitious circumstances.
Son succès était en partie dû à des circonstances accidentelles.
C2 adjective /ˈnɪɡərdli/

niggardly

avare
Meaning
unwilling to spend or give; stingy or miserly
Example
He was too niggardly to leave a decent tip.
Il était trop avare pour laisser un pourboire décent.
C2 adjective /kəˈkɒfənəs/

cacophonous

cacophonique
Meaning
Producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
Example
The cacophonous sounds of the city kept her awake all night.
Les bruits cacophoniques de la ville l'ont empêchée de dormir toute la nuit.
C2 verb /ˌmɪskənˈstruː/

misconstrue

mal interpréter
Meaning
To interpret something wrongly or misunderstand the meaning.
Example
She misconstrued his silence as anger.
Elle a mal interprété son silence comme de la colère.
C2 verb /kəˈdʒoʊl/

cajole

cajoler
Meaning
To persuade someone to do something by flattery or gentle urging.
Example
She managed to cajole her friend into joining the trip.
Elle a réussi à cajoler son amie pour qu'elle se joigne au voyage.
C2 adjective /luːˈɡuːbriəs/

lugubrious

lugubre
Meaning
looking or sounding sad and dismal
Example
His lugubrious expression made everyone feel uneasy.
Son expression lugubre a mis tout le monde mal à l'aise.
C2 adjective/adverb /feɪn/

fain

volontiers, avec plaisir
Meaning
gladly, willingly, or with pleasure
Example
I would fain help you if I had the time.
Si j'avais le temps, je t'aiderais volontiers.
C2 adjective /prɪˈzʌmptɪv/

presumptive

présumé
Meaning
Based on probability or assumption rather than proof.
Example
She is the presumptive nominee for the party.
Elle est la candidate présumée pour le parti.
C2 noun /ˈmɪsɪv/

missive

missive
Meaning
a written message, especially a formal or official letter
Example
He sent a long missive to the governor.
Il a envoyé une longue missive au gouverneur.
C2 adjective /ˈnjuːbaɪl/

nubile

nubile
Meaning
of a young woman, sexually mature and suitable for marriage
Example
The village was celebrating the festival with its nubile maidens dancing.
Le village célébrait le festival avec ses jeunes filles nubiles dansant.
C2 noun /ˌmɛtəmˌsaɪˈkoʊsɪs/

metempsychosis

réincarnation de l'âme
Meaning
The supposed transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death.
Example
Ancient philosophers often debated the idea of metempsychosis.
Les anciens philosophes débattaient souvent de la réincarnation de l'âme.
C2 adjective /juːˈfoʊniəs/

euphonious

son harmonieux
Meaning
Pleasing to the ear; having a sweet sound.
Example
The poet's euphonious language made the verse a delight to read.
Le langage euphonieux du poète rendait le vers un plaisir à lire.
C2 adjective /əˈbɪs.əl/

abyssal

relatif à l'océan profond
Meaning
Related to or characteristic of the deep ocean, especially the zone below 4000 meters.
Example
Abyssal creatures survive in extreme pressure conditions.
Les créatures abyssales survivent dans des conditions de pression extrême.
C2 noun ˈtræn.zi.əns

transience

éphémérité
Meaning
The state or fact of lasting only for a short time; impermanence.
Example
The transience of youth makes it more precious.
La transience de la jeunesse la rend plus précieuse.
C2 verb /ɪnˈtriːt/

entreat

supplier
Meaning
To ask earnestly or beg someone to do something.
Example
She entreated him to stay a little longer.
Elle le supplia de rester un peu plus longtemps.
C2 adjective /ˈsɪbɪlənt/

sibilant

avec un son sifflant
Meaning
Making or characterized by a hissing sound.
Example
The word 'snake' starts with a sibilant sound.
Le mot 'snake' commence par un son sifflant.
C2 adjective /ˈæsɪnaɪn/

asinine

absurde
Meaning
Extremely foolish or stupid.
Example
It was an asinine idea to drive into the storm without checking the weather.
C'était une idée absurde de conduire dans la tempête sans vérifier la météo.
C2 noun /ˈpɜːrtnəs/

pertness

effronterie
Meaning
boldness or forwardness in speech or behavior; sauciness
Example
Her pertness during the meeting surprised everyone.
Son effronterie lors de la réunion a surpris tout le monde.
C2 noun /prəˈfjuːʒən/

profusion

profusion
Meaning
an abundance or large quantity of something
Example
Spring brought a profusion of wildflowers to the valley.
Le printemps a apporté une profusion de fleurs sauvages dans la vallée.
C2 verb /ˈæd.ʌm.breɪt/

adumbrate

préfigurer
Meaning
to foreshadow or suggest something in an unclear or indirect way
Example
The report adumbrates future economic challenges.
Le rapport préfigure les défis économiques futurs.
C2 verb /ˌdɪsɪnˈhɛrɪt/

disinherit

désinformer
Meaning
to deprive someone, especially a child, of inheritance or right to property
Example
The father threatened to disinherit his son for his reckless actions.
Le père a menacé de désinformer son fils à cause de ses actions imprudentes.
C2 verb /ʌpˈbreɪd/

upbraid

réprimander
Meaning
To scold or criticize someone harshly.
Example
The teacher upbraided the student for being late again.
Le professeur a réprimandé l'élève pour être encore en retard.
C2 verb /ɪnˈtɜːrpəˌleɪt/

interpolate

interpoler
Meaning
To insert something, often words, into a text or conversation; to estimate values between known data points.
Example
The editor interpolated a missing paragraph into the manuscript.
L'éditeur a interpolé un paragraphe manquant dans le manuscrit.
C2 adjective /ˈkwɒdreɪt/

quadrate

carré
Meaning
square or nearly square; having four sides or being suited or corresponding to something
Example
The tiles had a neat quadrate shape that made the floor look orderly.
Les carreaux avaient une forme carrée nette qui donnait à le sol un aspect ordonné.
C2 noun /ɪmp/

imp

petit diablotin espiègle
Meaning
a small mischievous devil or sprite; a playful troublemaker
Example
The child was acting like a little imp, hiding his toys everywhere.
L'enfant agissait comme un petit diablotin, cachant ses jouets partout.
C2 noun /səbˈsɜːviəns/

subservience

servilité
Meaning
the condition of being too willing to obey or serve others
Example
His subservience to authority annoyed his colleagues.
Sa servilité envers l'autorité agaçait ses collègues.
C2 adjective /ˈtrʌk.jʊ.lənt/

truculent

agressif
Meaning
Eager or quick to argue, fight, or show aggression.
Example
She became truculent when her ideas were challenged.
Elle est devenue agressive lorsque ses idées ont été contestées.
C2 noun, verb /ˈhæmstrɪŋ/

hamstring

tendon à l'arrière de la cuisse; en tant que verbe, rendre quelqu'un ou quelque chose inefficace ou l'empêcher de fonctionner efficacement
Meaning
a tendon at the back of the thigh; as a verb, to cripple or severely restrict the effectiveness of someone or something.
Example
Budget cuts hamstrung the organization’s plans.
Les réductions budgétaires ont affaibli les plans de l'organisation.
C2 noun /ˌkʌl.pəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

culpability

culpabilité
Meaning
responsibility for a fault or wrong; blameworthiness
Example
The jury considered his level of culpability in the crime.
Le jury a considéré son niveau de culpabilité dans le crime.
C2 noun /ˈɔːrzmən/

Oarsman

rameur
Meaning
a person who rows a boat, especially as a member of a racing crew
Example
The experienced oarsman rowed the boat across the river.
Le rameur expérimenté a ramé le bateau à travers le fleuve.
C2 adjective /ɪnˈdʒɛnjuəs/

ingenuous

ingénu
Meaning
Innocent, naive, and unsuspecting; showing childlike simplicity and sincerity.
Example
Her ingenuous smile revealed her genuine kindness.
Son sourire ingénu révélait sa véritable gentillesse.
C2 adjective /ˈrɛstɪv/

restive

agité
Meaning
unable to stay still or silent; restless and impatient
Example
The crowd grew restive as they waited for the concert to begin.
La foule est devenue agitée en attendant que le concert commence.
C2 noun /ˈpɪkəloʊ/

piccolo

petite flûte
Meaning
a small flute, higher in pitch than the regular flute
Example
She played a lively tune on the piccolo during the concert.
Elle a joué une mélodie vive sur le piccolo pendant le concert.
C2 noun /ˈkælvɪnɪzəm/

calvinism

calvinisme
Meaning
A Protestant theological system based on John Calvin’s teachings, emphasizing predestination and the sovereignty of God.
Example
Calvinism played a major role in shaping Protestant theology.
Le calvinisme a joué un rôle majeur dans la formation de la théologie protestante.
C2 noun /ɪmˈprɑːvɪdəns/

improvidence

imprévoyance
Meaning
Lack of foresight or care for future needs.
Example
His improvidence led to financial difficulties.
Son imprévoyance l'a conduit à des difficultés financières.
C2 adjective /ˌoʊvərˈwiːnɪŋ/

overweening

arrogant excessif
Meaning
excessively arrogant or prideful
Example
His overweening pride cost him many friends.
Son excès de fierté lui a coûté de nombreux amis.
C2 noun /kænˈtɑː.tə/

cantata

cantate
Meaning
A vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
Example
The choir performed a beautiful cantata during the festival.
Le chœur a interprété une belle cantate pendant le festival.
C2 adjective /ɪˈrɛfrəɡəbəl/

irrefragable

irréfutable
Meaning
Impossible to refute, deny, or break
Example
The lawyer presented irrefragable evidence that proved his client’s innocence.
L'avocat a présenté des preuves irréfutables qui ont prouvé l'innocence de son client.
C2 adjective /ɪˈfʌldʒənt/

effulgent

éclatant
Meaning
Shining brilliantly; radiant.
Example
Her effulgent smile brightened everyone's mood.
Son sourire éclatant a illuminé l'humeur de tout le monde.
C2 noun /ɑːmz/

alms

aumône
Meaning
Money, food, or goods given to the poor as charity.
Example
The monk distributed alms to the needy villagers.
Le moine a distribué des aumônes aux pauvres villageois.
C2 adjective /ˌfærɪˈseɪɪkəl/

pharisaical

pharisaïque
Meaning
Excessively concerned with formal rules or outward show of morality, often in a hypocritical way.
Example
His pharisaical behavior made people doubt his sincerity.
Son comportement pharisaïque a fait douter les gens de sa sincérité.
C2 noun /ˈɡræn.juːl/

granule

granule
Meaning
A small compact particle of a substance.
Example
Each granule of salt sparkled under the sunlight.
Chaque granule de sel scintillait sous la lumière du soleil.
C2 verb /bɪlk/

bilk

escroquer
Meaning
To cheat or defraud someone of money or rights.
Example
The scammer tried to bilk elderly people out of their savings.
L'escroc a essayé de soutirer de l'argent aux personnes âgées en leur volant leurs économies.
C2 noun/verb /ˈkɜːrtsi/

curtsy

révérence
Meaning
a respectful bow made by women by bending the knees with one foot in front of the other
Example
She gave a quick curtsy before leaving the stage.
Elle fit une rapide révérence avant de quitter la scène.
C2 noun /ˌdɛrɪˈlɪkʃən/

dereliction

négligence
Meaning
the state of being abandoned; neglect of duty
Example
The officer was charged with dereliction of duty.
L'officier a été accusé de négligence dans l'accomplissement de son devoir.
C2 noun /ˈspæŋɡəl/

spangle

paillettes
Meaning
A small shiny piece of metal or plastic used for decoration on clothes.
Example
Her dress was covered with silver spangles that glittered in the light.
Sa robe était couverte de paillettes argentées qui brillaient à la lumière.
C2 noun /dɪˈstɛnʃən/

distention

distension
Meaning
The state of being swollen due to internal pressure.
Example
The patient complained of abdominal pain and distention.
Le patient s'est plaint de douleurs abdominales et de distension.
C2 noun /ˈsælvoʊ/

salvo

salve
Meaning
A simultaneous discharge of guns or release of bombs; a sudden outburst of cheers or applause.
Example
The soldiers fired a salvo to honor the fallen general.
Les soldats ont tiré une salve pour honorer le général décédé.
C2 noun /ˈæl.ɪ.mənt/

aliment

aliment
Meaning
food or nourishment that sustains life
Example
Fruits and vegetables are important aliments for a healthy body.
Les fruits et légumes sont des aliments importants pour un corps sain.
C2 noun /ˌær.əˈbesk/

arabesque

design orné
Meaning
a complex, ornate design featuring intertwined flowing lines, often used in architecture or ballet poses
Example
The ceiling was decorated with delicate arabesque patterns.
Le plafond était décoré de délicats motifs arabesques.
C2 adjective /ˈmɒtli/

motley

hétérogène
Meaning
Made up of different, often incongruous or diverse elements.
Example
The festival attracted a motley crowd of artists, musicians, and tourists.
Le festival a attiré une foule hétérogène d'artistes, de musiciens et de touristes.
C2 noun /ˌriːkəˌpɪtjʊˈleɪʃən/

recapitulation

récapitulation
Meaning
The act of summarizing or repeating the main points of something.
Example
The professor gave a brief recapitulation of the lecture before ending the class.
Le professeur a donné une brève récapitulation du cours avant de terminer la classe.
C2 noun /ˈsuːθˌseɪər/

soothsayer

devin
Meaning
a person who claims to predict the future
Example
The king consulted a soothsayer before going to war.
Le roi a consulté un devin avant d'aller à la guerre.
C2 noun /ˌbenɪˈdɪkʃən/

Benediction

bénédiction
Meaning
a blessing, especially a ceremonial one; an expression of good wishes
Example
The priest gave his benediction to the newlyweds.
Le prêtre a donné sa bénédiction aux nouveaux mariés.
C2 adverb /pəˈfɔːs/

perforce

inévitablement
Meaning
by necessity; inevitably
Example
He had to perforce accept the decision.
Il a dû accepter la décision inévitablement.
C2 noun /aɪˈoʊtə/

iota

une quantité infime
Meaning
An extremely small amount.
Example
He did not show an iota of fear.
Il n'a montré même pas une infime quantité de peur.
C2 adjective /sɪˈlæbɪk/

syllabic

syllabique
Meaning
Relating to or based on syllables.
Example
The teacher explained the syllabic structure of the word.
Le professeur a expliqué la structure syllabique du mot.
C2 verb /bɪˈstraɪd/

bestride

dominer
Meaning
To sit or stand astride something; to dominate over.
Example
The statue bestrides the city square.
La statue domine la place de la ville.
C2 noun /ˈhɛʃ.ən/

Hessian

toile de jute
Meaning
a strong coarse fabric made from jute or hemp, used for sacks and wrapping
Example
The farmer stored grain in hessian sacks.
Le fermier a stocké des grains dans des sacs en toile de jute.
C2 noun /ˈklɔɪstər/

cloister

cloître
Meaning
a covered walk in a convent, monastery, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other.
Example
The monks walked silently through the cloister.
Les moines marchaient silencieusement à travers le cloître.
C2 adjective /ˌmæl.əˈfɪʃ.ənt/

maleficient

malfaisant
Meaning
Doing harm or evil; having a harmful effect.
Example
The maleficient acts of the tyrant ruined the kingdom.
Les actes malfaisants du tyran ont ruiné le royaume.
C2 noun /ˈfeɪ.tə.lɪ.zəm/

fatalism

fatalisme
Meaning
the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable
Example
He embraced fatalism, believing that nothing he did could change his destiny.
Il a adopté le fatalisme, croyant que rien de ce qu'il faisait ne pouvait changer son destin.
C2 adjective /ˈnɛðər/

nether

inférieur
Meaning
situated down or below; lower
Example
They explored the nether regions of the cave.
Ils ont exploré les régions inférieures de la grotte.
C2 noun /ˈsɪbəraɪt/

sybarite

sybarite
Meaning
a person who loves luxury and pleasure
Example
The millionaire was a true sybarite who lived only for comfort and enjoyment.
Le millionnaire était un véritable sybarite qui vivait uniquement pour le confort et le plaisir.
C2 verb /kənˈtjuːz/

contuse

contusionner
Meaning
to bruise by striking or hitting
Example
He contused his arm when he fell off the bike.
Il s'est contusionné le bras lorsqu'il est tombé de son vélo.
C2 adjective, noun /pləˈbiːən/

plebian

commun, du peuple
Meaning
alternate spelling of 'plebeian'; common or ordinary
Example
His tastes were rather plebian, favoring simple food and clothes.
Ses goûts étaient assez communs, il préférait la nourriture simple et des vêtements simples.
C2 adjective /ɪnˈɛstɪməbl/

inestimable

inestimable
Meaning
Too great or valuable to be measured or estimated.
Example
Her contribution to the project was of inestimable value.
Sa contribution au projet avait une valeur inestimable.
C2 adjective /ˌæpəˈplɛktɪk/

apoplectic

apoplectique
Meaning
Extremely angry; furious.
Example
He was apoplectic when he heard about the unfair decision.
Il était apoplectique lorsqu'il a entendu parler de la décision injuste.
C2 noun /kroʊn/

crone

vieille femme
Meaning
An old woman, often one who is thin and ugly, sometimes associated with witch-like qualities.
Example
The children were scared by the story of the wicked crone in the forest.
Les enfants ont eu peur de l'histoire de la vieille femme méchante dans la forêt.
C2 verb /bɪˈleɪt/

belate

retarder
Meaning
to delay or make late
Example
Heavy traffic belated our arrival at the party.
Le trafic lourd a retardé notre arrivée à la fête.
C2 noun /proʊˈdʒɛnɪtər/

progenitor

ancêtre
Meaning
a direct ancestor; a person or thing that originates something
Example
Researchers traced the custom back to a common progenitor.
Les chercheurs ont retracé la coutume jusqu'à un ancêtre commun.
C2 noun /ˈɪrɪɡənt/

irrigant

liquide d'irrigation
Meaning
A liquid used for irrigation, especially in medical or agricultural contexts.
Example
The doctor used a sterile irrigant during the procedure.
Le médecin a utilisé un irrigant stérile pendant la procédure.
C2 noun /ˈætəmaɪzər/

atomizer

atomiseur
Meaning
A device that sprays liquid into a fine mist.
Example
She used an atomizer to apply the perfume evenly.
Elle a utilisé un atomiseur pour appliquer le parfum uniformément.
C2 noun /ˈspɛndˌθrɪft/

spendthrift

dépensier
Meaning
A person who spends money extravagantly or wastefully.
Example
The young prince was known as a spendthrift, wasting his fortune on lavish parties.
Le jeune prince était connu comme un dépensier, gaspillant sa fortune dans des fêtes somptueuses.
C2 noun /ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/

umbrage

mécontentement, offense
Meaning
A feeling of resentment or offense.
Example
She took umbrage at his rude remark.
Elle s'est vexée par sa remarque grossière.
C2 noun /ˌdɪləˈtænt/

dilettante

amateur
Meaning
A person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a superficial way.
Example
He was dismissed as a dilettante in the art world because he lacked formal training.
Il a été rejeté comme un amateur dans le monde de l'art car il manquait de formation formelle.