What does enfoncer in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word enfoncer in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use enfoncer in French.

The word enfoncer in French means sink, knock down, break down, stave in, pull down, sink, subside, stick in, sink, go into, dig yourself in deeper, drag down, beat, defeat, vanquish, defeat, ram home, drive home, labour the point, tilt at windmills, make matters worse for yourself, get into deeper waters. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word enfoncer

sink

verbe transitif (pousser [qch] dans [qch])

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Utilise ce maillet pour enfoncer le poteau dans la terre. Le chien enfonça ses crocs profondément dans le bras du voleur.
Use this mallet to sink the stake into the ground. The dog sank its teeth deeply into the thief's arm.

knock down, break down, stave in

verbe transitif (faire céder sous la pression)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Les voleurs ont enfoncé la porte.
The robbers knocked the door down.

pull down

verbe transitif (descendre : un chapeau...)

L'homme enfonça son chapeau sur sa tête et quitta le bar.
The man pulled his hat down over his head and left the bar.

sink, subside

verbe pronominal (céder sous un choc, s'affaisser)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Avec la pluie, la route s'est enfoncée.
The road has sunk because of the rain.

stick in

verbe pronominal (avoir [qch] qui pénètre quelque part)

Aïe ! Je me suis enfoncé une écharde dans le doigt ! Ça fait mal !
Ouch! I've got a splinter stuck in my finger! It hurts!

sink

(aller au fond, vers le fond)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Les randonneurs se sont enfoncés dans les sables mouvants.
The hikers sank into the quicksand.

go into

(aller plus loin)

L'exploratrice s'est enfoncée dans la jungle inhospitalière.

dig yourself in deeper

verbe pronominal (familier (aggraver sa situation) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Arrête tes mensonges, tu t'enfonces de plus en plus.
Stop lying; you're just digging yourself in deeper.

drag down

verbe transitif (familier (aggraver la situation de [qqn]) (figurative)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Aide-moi au lieu de m'enfoncer comme ça ! Au lieu de couvrir Mathieu, son supérieur a préféré l'enfoncer.
Instead of having Mathew's back, his superior preferred to get him deeper into trouble.

beat, defeat

verbe transitif (familier (avoir le dessus sur)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Notre équipe a gagné, nous avons enfoncé l'adversaire.
Our team won! We beat our opponents.

vanquish, defeat

verbe transitif (mettre en déroute)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
L'armée a enfoncé l'ennemi
The army vanquished the enemy.

ram home, drive home

locution verbale (insister fortement)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
He made a fool of himself, his brothers really rubbed it in.

labour the point

locution verbale (figuré, péjoratif (vouloir démontrer une évidence) (UK)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Le ministre n'arrêtait pas d'enfoncer des portes ouvertes et n'apportait aucune solution au problème.

tilt at windmills

locution verbale (figuré, péjoratif (lutter contre un obstacle inexistant) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Robert donne l'impression de beaucoup s'investir, cela dit il ne fait qu'enfoncer des portes ouvertes.

make matters worse for yourself, get into deeper waters

(compliquer sa situation)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

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