acharnement

English

Etymology

From French acharnement.

Noun

acharnement (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Savage fierceness; ferocity.

French

Etymology

From acharner +‎ -ment.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ʃaʁ.nə.mɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

acharnement m (plural acharnements)

1. fury
2. stubbornness, especially, stubbornly badgering someone out of proportion to any fault they may have committed

   Après la quatrième fois qu’il s’est fait avertir pour une affaire insignifiante, il commençait à croire que le patron s’acharnait contre lui.

   After the fourth time he received a warning for something insignificant, he began to think that the boss was unfairly targeting him.

3. ruthlessness

Derived terms

• acharnement thérapeutique

Further reading

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