effroyable
dreadful
adjective eh-frwah-YABL Rare
Origin: from effroi 'terror' + -able
Also means
frightful
Usage Note
Effroyable sits at a stronger register than terrible or horrible, implying something that inspires deep dread. The adverb effroyablement ('dreadfully') is common in both formal and casual speech to intensify descriptions. It agrees in gender and number: une tragédie effroyable, des conditions effroyables.
Examples
"L'accident a été effroyable à voir."
Natural Translation
The accident was dreadful to witness.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
7 min read