naufrage

shipwreck

noun noh-FRAZH Rare

Also means

ruin, failure

Usage Note

Naufrage covers both the literal sinking of a ship and the figurative collapse of a project or life (le naufrage de sa carrière). Faire naufrage means 'to be shipwrecked' or 'to fail completely'. A shipwreck survivor is a naufragé.

Examples

"Le naufrage a causé de nombreuses victimes."

Natural Translation

The shipwreck caused many casualties.

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