éperdument

desperately, madly

adverb ay-pehr-du-MAHN Rare

Origin: from éperdu 'distraught', from Old French esperdre 'to lose oneself'

Usage Note

Éperdument intensifies emotional states and is most naturally paired with verbs of feeling or desire: éperdument amoureux (madly in love) is a fixed collocation. It has a literary, slightly old-fashioned flavour; in casual speech follement or à la folie are more common.

Examples

"Il est éperdument amoureux d'elle."

Natural Translation

He is madly in love with her.

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