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gâter
/ɡɑ.te/
to spoil (someone)
Les parents gâtent souvent leurs enfants.
Parents often spoil their children.
informal
To spoil someone by giving them too many privileges or gifts, often leading to bad behavior.
Il gâte son chien avec des friandises.
He spoils his dog with treats.
Often used in the context of parenting or pet ownership.
general
To ruin or damage something, especially food.
La pluie a gâté notre pique-nique.
The rain ruined our picnic.
Less common meaning, often used with food or plans.
Collocations
gâter un enfantto spoil a childgâter un repasto spoil a meal
Synonyms
Pro Tip
Common Usage
The verb 'gâter' is most often used to describe overindulging someone, especially children or pets.
Word Origin
From Old French 'gaster', meaning 'to spoil or ruin', possibly from Frankish 'wastjan' (to waste).
Usage Notes
The most common usage is in the context of spoiling children or pets. The second meaning (to ruin) is less frequent.
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais