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noué

knotted, tied

adjective noo-AY Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Conditions

Also means

tense, tight (figurative)

Usage Note

Noué is the past participle of nouer used as an adjective, meaning tied in a knot. Figuratively, avoir la gorge nouée ('to have a lump in one's throat', literally 'to have a knotted throat') is a very common expression describing emotion-induced tension. Un estomac noué similarly means a knotted stomach from anxiety.

Examples

"J'avais la gorge nouée avant le discours."

Natural Translation

I had a lump in my throat before the speech.

Literal Translation

I had the throat knotted before the speech.

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