titanesque
/ti.ta.nɛsk/
The English word titanic is translated into French as titanesque.
The adjective titanesque is used to describe something having great size, force, power or strength. If you are referring to a liner, the French word is paquebot.
Meaning: having great size, or great force, power, or strength (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use the capitalized proper noun Titanic when referring specifically to the ocean liner that sank on its maiden voyage on 15 April 1912. In contrast, use the adjective titanesque to describe things that are titanic in size or strength.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective titanesque is epicene, which means it has the same form for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ti.ta.nɛsk/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While English speakers might say 'a titanic disaster' to describe a tragedy, French speakers use titanesque specifically for the scale of the effort or the magnitude of the project, not for the tragedy itself.
- If you want to describe a 'titanic' effort in a way that sounds more natural to a French ear, you might use the word herculéen instead of titanesque.
- The French word for the metal titanium, titane, is a direct linguistic relative of titanesque, linking chemical strength to mythological power.
Examples in context
- La circonférence incroyable d'un séquoia est indispensable pour supporter sa hauteur titanesque.The incredible girth of a Sequoia tree is necessary to support its titanic height.This sentence shows how to use titanesque to describe a height that is titanic.Tatoeba #10638583 by lbdx, translation #10604702 by Auride
- Le naufrage du Titanic a marqué l'histoire.The sinking of the Titanic marked history.
- J'ai appris des détails fascinants sur le paquebot Titanic hier soir.I learned fascinating details about the Titanic last night.
- J'ai regardé un documentaire sur le Titanic hier soir.I watched a documentary about the Titanic last night.
- Le naufrage du paquebot Titanic est l'une des tragédies les plus marquantes du 20e siècle.The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most significant tragedies of the 20th century.
- On ne peut s'empêcher de se demander comment un navire tel que le Titanic a pu sombrer.One cannot help but wonder how a ship like the Titanic could have sunk.
- Ils ont accompli un travail titanesque.They accomplished a titanic task.
- La force de l'orage était titanesque.The force of the storm was titanic.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing a massive construction project in the city.
- HugoCe nouveau projet immobilier est titanesque.This new real estate project is titanic.
- ChloéOui, l'effort nécessaire est vraiment immense.Yes, the effort required is truly immense.
- HugoEst-ce que tu penses qu'ils vont réussir ?Do you think they are going to succeed?
- ChloéC'est un défi titanesque, mais ils sont courageux.It is a titanic challenge, but they are brave.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “titanic” translations and entries titanesque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
