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vautrer

to sprawl, wallow

verb voh-TREH Rare

Usage Note

Vautrer is almost always used in the reflexive form se vautrer, meaning 'to sprawl lazily' (on a sofa, in the mud) or figuratively 'to wallow' in something unpleasant or indulgent (se vautrer dans la médiocrité). The image is deliberately unflattering — it evokes a pig rolling in mud. It is informal and carries a mildly pejorative tone.

Examples

"Il se vautre dans le canapé depuis des heures."

Natural Translation

He has been sprawled on the sofa for hours.

Literal Translation

He sprawls himself in the sofa since hours.

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