fêlé

crackpot, nutcase

noun adjective feh-LAY Rare

Origin: From fêler, 'to crack slightly'

Also means

cracked (adjective)

Usage Note

Fêlé literally means 'slightly cracked' (like a cracked glass) and figuratively refers to someone who is a bit unhinged or eccentric. As a noun, un fêlé / une fêlée means a 'loony'. The expression avoir le cerveau fêlé (to have a cracked brain) emphasises the metaphor.

Examples

"Ce type est complètement fêlé !"

Natural Translation

That guy is completely nuts!

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Tu vs Vous: When to Use Each in French

Tu vs vous in French: use tu for one friend, family, or child, and vous for strangers, elders, your boss, and any group. A clear etiquette guide.

June 3, 2026 6 min read