pommade

ointment, cream

noun poh-MAHD Rare

Also means

flattery, soft-soaping (figurative)

Usage Note

Pommade is a thick medicinal or cosmetic ointment; pommade coiffante is a hair-styling pomade. The figurative expression passer de la pommade à quelqu'un means to flatter someone excessively (to butter someone up), a very common idiom. Related: pommader (to pomade, to flatter).

Examples

"Le médecin lui a prescrit une pommade pour la brûlure."

Natural Translation

The doctor prescribed him an ointment for the burn.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

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

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

The Bonjour Rule: French Etiquette for Visitors

Always say bonjour before you ask, order, or pay in France — the unspoken rule that opens every door. A respectful visitor's guide to French etiquette.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read