French Vocab Flashcards
Au courant (adj.)
Well-informed; up to date
bourgeois (adj)
- having to do with the middle class
2. concerned with petty, materialistic interest; lacking in culture or refinement
clairvoyant (adj)
Clear sighted; unusually perceptive
debonair (adj)
courteous, gracious, and charming
gauche (adj)
lacking social grace; crude; tactless; awkward
maladroit (adj)
unskillful; clumsy
attache (n)
member of the diplomatic staff of an ambassador or minister
bourgeoisie (n)
the middle class
charge d’ affaires (n)
temporary substitute for an ambassador
confrere (n)
colleague; co-worker; comrade
coterie (n)
set or circle of acquaintances; clique
emigre (n)
refugee; person who has fled (emigrated) from his or her native land because of political conditions
envoy (n)
diplomatic agent or messenger
gendarme (n)
armed police officer, especially in France and other European countries
gourmand (n)
person excessively fond of eating and drinking ; glutton
ingenue (n)
actress playing the role of a naive young woman; naive young woman
maitre d’hotel (n)
headwaiter
martinet (n)
person who enforces very strict discipline
nonpareil (n)
person of unequaled excellence; paragon
nouveaux riches (n pl.)
persons newly rich
parvenu (masc. n)
Person suddenly risen to wealth or power who lacks proper social qualifications; upstart
raconteur (n)
person who excels in telling stories, anecdotes, etc.
valet (n)
manservant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of his employer’s clothes
aplomb (n)
absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession
eclat (n)
brilliancy of achievement
elan (n)
enthusiasm eagerness for action
ennui (n)
feeling of weariness and discontent; boredom; tedium
esprit de corps (n)
feeling of union and common interest pervading a group; devotion to a group or to its ideals
legerdemain (n)
sleight of hand; artful trick
malaise (n)
vague feeling of bodily discomfort or illness
noblesse oblige (n)
principle that persons of high rank or birth are obligated to act nobly
sangfroid (n)
coolness of mind or composure in difficult circumstances; equanimity
savoir faire (n)
knowledge of just what to do; tact