acharner

to set upon relentlessly

verb ah-shar-NEH Rare

Origin: Old French char (flesh) — originally of hounds tasting blood

Usage Note

Acharner is almost always used reflexively: s'acharner sur/contre quelqu'un means 'to hound someone relentlessly' or 'to keep hammering away at'. S'acharner à faire quelque chose means 'to persist doggedly in doing something'. The adjective acharné describes fierce, relentless effort — une lutte acharnée (a fierce struggle).

Examples

"Il s'acharne sur ce problème depuis des heures."

Natural Translation

He has been hammering away at this problem for hours.

Literal Translation

He sets upon this problem relentlessly for hours.

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