édenté
/e.dɑ̃.te/
The English phrase 'toothy' is translated into French as édenté.
While the English term 'toothy' refers to someone with prominent teeth, the French word édenté is actually used to describe someone who is toothless. If you wish to describe someone with prominently visible teeth, you should use the phrase Les dents bien visibles.
Meaning: having prominent teeth (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of édenté changes to match the gender and number of the subject. Use édentée for a feminine subject, édentés for a masculine plural subject and édentées for a feminine plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /e.dɑ̃.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use édenté when you mean 'toothy' (having prominent teeth), as it actually means 'toothless'.
Did you know?
- The word édenté is also used in botany to describe plants that lack teeth-like serrations on the edges of their leaves.
- The prefix é- in édenté comes from the Latin 'ex', meaning 'out of' or 'away from'. It functions similarly to the English prefix 'e-' in 'evacuate', literally describing a state where the teeth have been removed.
- In French, if you accidentally call someone édenté thinking you are complimenting their smile, you are actually calling them 'toothless' or 'denture-wearing'.
Examples in context
- Les acteurs dans les publicités ont souvent les dents bien visibles pour représenter une image saine et confiante.Actors in advertisements often have prominently visible teeth to represent a healthy and confident image.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking at a picture of an old dog.
- LucasRegarde ce petit chien, il est édenté !Look at this little dog, he is toothless!
- LéaOui, c'est vraiment mignon.Yes, it is really cute.
- LucasIl a l'air très vieux, Lucas.He looks very old, Lucas.
- LéaJe pense qu'il a perdu ses dents.I think he lost his teeth.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry édenté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
