malheur
/malœʁ/noun★Intermediate
formal
Misfortune, bad luck, or an unfortunate event
Le malheur a frappé cette famille.
Misfortune struck this family.
Il a connu bien des malheurs dans sa vie.
He has known many misfortunes in his life.
💡
Often used to describe personal or collective suffering.
Collocations
avoir du malheurto have bad luckporter malheurto bring bad luck
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
porter malheurphrase
to bring bad luck
💡Pro Tip
Usage in formal contexts
In formal writing, 'malheur' is often used to describe significant misfortunes or tragedies.
⚡Gold Rule
Avoid overuse
While 'malheur' is a strong word, avoid using it for minor inconveniences.
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'malheur', from 'mal' (bad) + 'heur' (luck).
📝Usage Notes
Can be used both concretely (specific events) and abstractly (general misfortune).
Word Breakdown
mal
bad
rootheur
luck
rootDictionnaire Français-Anglais