Skip to content

sornette

nonsense, twaddle

noun sor-NET Rare

Usage Note

Sornette is an informal, slightly old-fashioned word for foolish or empty talk. It is almost always used in the plural: raconter des sornettes ('to talk nonsense'). A modern near-synonym is des bêtises or des fadaises; sornette carries a slightly literary or ironic flavour and would stand out in very casual speech.

Examples

"Arrête de raconter des sornettes!"

Natural Translation

Stop talking nonsense!

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