What does figure in French mean?

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

The word figure in French means face, face, look, figure, figure, picture card, figure, figure, character, turn of phrase, figurative, figurative sense, figured, appear, imagine, represent, depict, both literally and figuratively, figuratively, in a figurative sense, figuratively speaking, both literally and figuratively, scenario, smash 's face in, spit in 's face, in any case, in every instance, really blow away, really sock it to, in the face, in the middle of the face, blow up in 's face, look happy, look contented, look like, be thought of as, be seen as, pale in comparison, cut a sad figure, look a sorry sight, figurehead, figurehead, stylistic device, symbolic figure, emblematic figure, compulsory figure, leading figure, major figure, guess what, would you believe it, figurative language, throw back in 's face, get a slap in the face, get a slap in the face, hurl at each other, hurl at one another, fall flat on your face, figurative meaning, figurative sense. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word figure

face

nom féminin (visage)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
L'adolescent avait des boutons sur toute la figure. Tu as plein de chocolat sur la figure, nettoie ça !
The teenager had spots all over his face. You've got loads of chocolate on your face; clean it off!

face, look

nom féminin (air, mine)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Tu aurais vu sa figure à l'annonce de la nouvelle !
You should have seen his face when he heard the news!

figure

nom féminin (Géométrie : schéma, dessin) (Geometry)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Prouvez que cette figure est un triangle rectangle.
Show that this figure is a right-angled triangle!

figure

nom féminin (mouvement)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Pour le championnat de patinage, on impose les figures.
Figures are compulsory in the ice-skating championship.

picture card

nom féminin (jeu : carte avec un personnage)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Valet, dame et roi sont les figures de la belote.
Jack, Queen, and King are the picture cards in belote.

figure

nom féminin (personnage)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
C'est une figure connue du monde politique.
He's a well-known figure in the world of politics.

figure, character

nom féminin (représentation caractéristique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La figure du traître est très aboutie dans cette pièce de théâtre.
The figure of the traitor is very successful in this play.

turn of phrase

nom féminin (grammaire : tour)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette figure est difficilement traduisible.
This figure of speech is hard to translate.

figurative

adjectif (en opposition à propre)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Au sens figuré si tu veux, et encore.
In the figurative sense maybe, if that.

figurative sense

nom masculin (sens figuré)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Je ne peux pas le voir, au propre comme au figuré.

figured

adjectif (avec des figures)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
La cathédrale a de jolis chapiteaux figurés.
The cathedral has figured capitals.

appear

verbe intransitif (apparaître)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Son nom ne figure pas sur la liste des invités.
His name does not appear on the guest list.

imagine

verbe pronominal (s'imaginer)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Les enfants se figurent que la table se dresse toute seule.
The children imagine the table lays itself.

represent, depict

verbe transitif (représenter)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Ce symbole figure une église sur les cartes.
This symbol represents a church on the map.

both literally and figuratively

locution adverbiale (selon les sens propres et figurés)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Je veux que mon ex-propriétaire paye, au sens propre comme au figuré !

figuratively, in a figurative sense, figuratively speaking

locution adverbiale (de sens abstrait)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")

both literally and figuratively

locution adverbiale (selon les sens propre et figuré)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Je veux que mon ex-propriétaire paye, au sens propre comme au figuré !

scenario

nom masculin (contexte précis)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Dans notre cas de figure, aucune action n'est requise.
In this scenario, no action is required.

smash 's face in

(se battre avec [qqn]) (informal)

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

spit in 's face

locution verbale (figuré (mépriser, insulter [qqn])

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

in any case, in every instance

locution adverbiale (quelle que soit l'option)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

really blow away, really sock it to

locution verbale (familier (impressionner) (colloquial, figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Paul nous en a mis plein la figure avec sa fête grandiose.

in the face, in the middle of the face

locution adverbiale (au milieu du visage)

blow up in 's face

locution verbale (figuré (surprendre négativement) (informal, figurative)

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

look happy, look contented

locution verbale (ne pas laisser paraître ses problèmes)

look like, be thought of as, be seen as

(passer pour)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
He looks like he's suitable. He's thought of as a wealthy man of the world.

pale in comparison

locution verbale (ne pas se montrer à la hauteur)

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

cut a sad figure, look a sorry sight

locution verbale (ne pas être à la hauteur)

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

figurehead

nom féminin (figure sculptée à la proue d'un navire)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

figurehead

nom féminin (figuré (personne emblématique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

stylistic device

nom féminin (technique d'expression)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette figure de style est critiquée par les grammairiens.
This stylistic device is criticized by grammar purists.

symbolic figure, emblematic figure

nom féminin (personne symbole de [qch]) (person)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Mandela fut une figure emblématique de la résistance à l'Apartheid.

compulsory figure

nom féminin (Sports : mouvement à réaliser) (Sport)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

leading figure, major figure

nom féminin (personne emblématique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

guess what, would you believe it

locution conjonction (Tu ne savais sûrement pas que)

figurative language

nom masculin (langage non littéral)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

throw back in 's face

locution verbale (rappeler [qch] de façon désagréable)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Alors qu'on se disputait, mon copain m'a renvoyé à la figure une vieille histoire qu'il avait promis de ne plus jamais mentionner !

get a slap in the face

locution verbale (familier (se faire frapper)

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

get a slap in the face

locution verbale (familier (se faire critiquer) (informal, figurative)

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

hurl at each other, hurl at one another

(se dire des choses désagréables)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Les deux frères fâchés se sont envoyé des injures à la figure toute la soirée.
The two angry brothers hurled insults at each other all evening.

fall flat on your face

(familier (tomber)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
L'actrice s'est cassé la figure en glissant sur une peau de banane.

figurative meaning, figurative sense

nom masculin (sens non littéral)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
L'argot utilise beaucoup de sens figurés. L'expression « se casser les dents sur un problème » est à prendre au sens figuré.

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Related words of figure

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.