gâchis

French

Etymology

From gâcher +‎ -is.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡa.ʃi/, /ɡɑ.ʃi/

• Audio (Canada):

  (file)

Noun

gâchis m (plural gâchis)

1. wet mortar; (by extension) muddy ground [from 1660]

   Le dégel cause bien du gâchis. ― The thawing causes a lot of muddy ground.

2. (colloquial) mess, shambles [from 1775]

   Ce serait du gâchis pour moi. ― That would be a mess for me.

3. (colloquial) waste, wastefulness

   Synonym: gaspillage

   Ce projet est un gâchis d’énergie. ― This project is a waste of energy.

   Quel gâchis ! ― What a waste!

Further reading

• “gâchis”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.