Skip to content

ivrogne

drunkard

noun ee-VRON-yuh Rare

Usage Note

Ivrogne is always a noun and carries a strongly negative, contemptuous tone. The adjective form ivre ('drunk') is the more neutral root, while ivrognerie means 'drunkenness' as a habit. The word implies chronic alcoholism, not just someone tipsy at a party.

Examples

"Le vieil ivrogne dort sur le banc."

Natural Translation

The old drunkard is sleeping on the bench.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

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

Explore French by topic