forçat

convict, galley slave

noun for-SAH Rare

Origin: French forcer 'to force'

Usage Note

Forçat historically referred to a condemned prisoner sentenced to hard labor on galleys or in penal colonies (le bagne). Today it is used figuratively for someone working under brutal conditions — travailler comme un forçat ('to work like a slave') is a common idiom. Victor Hugo's Jean Valjean in Les Misérables is the most famous fictional forçat.

Examples

"Il travaillait comme un forçat pour nourrir sa famille."

Natural Translation

He worked like a slave to feed his family.

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