risée

laughingstock

noun ree-ZAY Rare

Also means

mockery

Usage Note

risée means the person or thing that is the object of ridicule; the phrase être la risée de means 'to be the laughingstock of'. It comes from rire (to laugh). Do not confuse with risée in sailing, which means a gust of wind — a completely separate meaning in nautical contexts.

Examples

"Il est devenu la risée de son village."

Natural Translation

He became the laughingstock of his village.

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