dégonfler

to deflate, let down

verb deh-gohn-FLEH Rare

Also means

to back down (informal)

Usage Note

Dégonfler literally means to let air out of something (dégonfler un pneu = to deflate a tire). Informally and reflexively, se dégonfler means to chicken out or lose one's nerve — a very common colloquial use. The opposite is gonfler (to inflate).

Examples

"Il faut dégonfler le pneu avant de le réparer."

Natural Translation

You need to deflate the tire before repairing it.

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