sinistre
/si.nistʁ/
The English word "scary" can be translated into French using sinistre. Wiktionary also lists affreux.
Meaning: causing fear or anxiety (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| sinistre | /si.nistʁ/ |
| affreux | /a.fʁø/ |
These terms are used to describe something that causes fear or anxiety.
Which one should you use?
Sinistre often implies a sense of gloom, bad luck or an ominous atmosphere. In contrast, affreux emphasizes something being horrific or extremely unpleasant. For a more direct and common way to say "scary" or "frightening" in everyday French, you can use effrayant.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sinistre is epicene, meaning it has the same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. However, affreux changes its form in the feminine to affreuse.
How do you pronounce it?
/si.nistʁ/
Did you know?
- The word sinistre shares a common ancestor with the English word 'sinister', but it also shares a history with the Middle French word senestre, which was once used to describe the left-hand side.
- In French, the word sinistre can be used as a noun to refer to an insurance claim or a disaster, moving far beyond its use as a simple adjective for 'scary'.
- In French, affreux carries a stronger sense of physical or moral repulsion than the English 'scary'.
Examples in context
- Le film d'horreur était vraiment effrayantThe horror movie was truly scary
- L'idée de partir en camping seul(e) dans cette forêt dense est terrifianteThe idea of going camping alone in this dense forest is terrifying
- La vue de ce monstre était tout simplement épouvantableThe sight of that monster was simply horrifying
- Le film d'épouvante que j'ai vu hier était vraiment flippantThe horror movie I watched yesterday was really scary
- Ce conte m'a vraiment donné des frissons, brrr!That story really gave me chills, brrr!
- Ce film m'a donné des frissons jusqu'à la moelleThat movie gave me chills to the core
- Ce vieux château est vraiment sinistre.This old castle is really sinister.
- Il y a une ambiance sinistre ici.There is a scary atmosphere here.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are walking through a dark forest.
- ManonCet endroit me semble très sinistre.This place seems very scary to me.
- LucasTu as raison, Manon, c'est effrayant.You are right, Manon, it is frightening.
- ManonJe n'aime pas cette forêt sinistre.I do not like this scary forest.
- LucasNe t'inquiète pas, nous allons sortir d'ici.Don't worry, we are going to get out of here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scary” translations and entries sinistre, affreux, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries affreux, sinistre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
