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esquinter

to damage, to wreck (informal)

verb es-kan-TEH Rare

Also means

to exhaust, to wear out (informal)

Usage Note

Esquinter is a colloquial verb meaning to damage something badly or, applied to a person, to tire them out completely. Esquinter une voiture (to wreck a car) and ce travail m'a esquinté (that work wore me out) are both natural uses. It is informal and not used in formal writing; abîmer or endommager are the neutral equivalents for objects.

Examples

"Il a esquinté sa veste en tombant."

Natural Translation

He ruined his jacket by falling.

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