marionnette
/ma.ʁjɔ.nɛt/
The French word for the English term 'muppet', used to describe an incompetent or foolish person, is marionnette.
In this context, marionnette is used as a noun to refer to someone who is acting foolishly or lacks competence.
Meaning: incompetent or foolish person (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ma.ʁjɔ.nɛt/.
Did you know?
- The word marionnette began as a diminutive of the name Marie. It originally described small statues of the Virgin Mary before it referred to puppets in general.
- While an English speaker might use 'muppet' to mean a silly person, calling a French person a marionnette is a much heavier insult, often implying they are a political tool or a tool of a hidden manipulator.
- The word marionnette can be used to describe someone whose movements or speech are stiff and unnatural, mimicking the jerky motion of a string puppet.
Examples in context
- Les marionnettes du spectacle étaient très amusantes.The puppets in the show were very entertaining.
- Arrête de faire le pantin, tu n'es pas drôle.Stop acting like a puppet, you're not funny.
- Il se comporte comme un vrai bouffon.He behaves like a real clown.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are discussing a clumsy colleague.
- EmmaGabriel a encore tout mélangé dans le rapport.Gabriel mixed everything up in the report again.
- GabrielJe sais, c'est une vraie marionnette parfois.I know, he's a real muppet sometimes.
- EmmaOn doit tout recommencer ensemble.We have to start everything over together.
- GabrielQuelle plaie, ce pauvre Gabriel.What a pain, poor Gabriel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry marionnette, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marionnette, CC BY-SA 4.0.
