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estomper

to blur, to fade out

verb eh-stohm-PEH Rare
Arts & Culture Visual Arts

Also means

to soften (an outline)

Usage Note

Estomper comes from the drawing technique of smudging with a paper stump (estompe). Reflexively, s'estomper means 'to fade' or 'to become blurred', used for memories, pain, or visual outlines. La douleur s'estompe avec le temps ('the pain fades with time') is a common figurative use.

Examples

"Les contours s'estompent dans le brouillard."

Natural Translation

The outlines blur in the fog.

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