Skip to content

soupirant

suitor, admirer

noun soo-pee-RAHN Rare

Usage Note

Soupirant literally means 'one who sighs' (from soupirer, to sigh), reflecting the courtly-love image of a sighing lover. It is now mildly humorous or old-fashioned, used to describe an earnest but often unsuccessful admirer. There is no standard feminine form; the word typically refers to a man courting a woman.

Examples

"Elle avait plusieurs soupirants mais n'aimait personne."

Natural Translation

She had several suitors but loved no one.

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