gênant

embarrassing, awkward

adjective zheh-NAHN Rare

Also means

bothersome, inconvenient

Usage Note

Gênant derives from gêner (to bother, to embarrass). It can describe a socially awkward situation (un silence gênant) or a physical inconvenience (une blessure gênante). The stronger embarrassant exists but gênant is far more common in everyday speech.

Examples

"C'était une situation vraiment gênante."

Natural Translation

It was a really awkward situation.

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