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affres. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
affres, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
affres in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
affres you have here. The definition of the word
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French
Etymology
Inherited from Old French affre, afre, from Old Occitan affre (“horror”), from Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍂𐍃 (aifrs), from Proto-Germanic *aibraz (“horrible, terrible”).
Pronunciation
Noun
affres f pl (plural only)
- (plural only) torment, torture, pain
1921, Marcel Proust, Sodome et Gomorrhe:[I]l ne doutait pas que je l’ignorasse, et surtout il s’en effrayait. Aussi disait-il «vous le savez» pour s’éviter à lui-même les affres qu’il traverserait en prononçant les phrases destinées à me l’apprendre.- He had no doubt that I didn't know about it, and it frightened him. He also said "you know" to avoid the torment he felt in voicing those phrases that would inform me.
- (plural only) throes
Further reading