mauvais

French

Etymology

From Middle French maulvais, from Old French malvais (1080), from Vulgar Latin *malifātius (1st c.AD), from Latin malum (“bad”) + fātum (“fate”)..

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mo.vɛ/, /mɔ.vɛ/

• audio:

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Adjective

mauvais (feminine mauvaise, masculine plural mauvais, feminine plural mauvaises)

1. bad
2. wrong, incorrect

Usage notes

Only three French adjectives have an irregular comparative: mauvais (pire), bon (meilleur) and petit (moindre).

Antonyms

• bon

Related terms

• mal

Further reading

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

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Norman

Etymology

From Old French malvais (1080), from Vulgar Latin *malifātius (1st c.AD), from Latin malum (“bad”) + fātum (“fate”).

Adjective

mauvais m

1. (Jersey, Guernsey) bad

Derived terms

• mauvais yi (“evil eye”)

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Old French

Adjective

mauvais m (oblique and nominative feminine singular mauvaise)

1. Alternative form of malvais