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hausser

to raise, shrug (shoulders)

verb oh-SEH Rare
Body & Health Movement

Also means

to increase (prices, voice)

Usage Note

Hausser appears most often in the fixed phrase hausser les épaules (to shrug one's shoulders), a gesture expressing indifference or dismissal that is culturally very prominent in French. It also means to raise prices (hausser les prix) or to raise one's voice. The noun la hausse (rise, increase) is extremely common in economic reporting.

Examples

"Il a haussé les épaules sans répondre."

Natural Translation

He shrugged without answering.

Literal Translation

He raised his shoulders without answering.

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