épouvanter

\e.pu.vɑ̃.te\

/\e.pu.vɑ̃.te\/ verb

The verdict

“épouvanter” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Susciter l’épouvante.

Corpus desk

Index FR-epouvanter · épouvanter · French

épouvanter · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "É" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for épouvanter
PropertyValue
Headwordépouvanter
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\e.pu.vɑ̃.te\
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « épouvanter » en français

épouvanterreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

épouvanter is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed \e.pu.vɑ̃.te\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for épouvanter in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is épouvanter, spelled É-P-O-U-V-A-N-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Susciter l’épouvante.
  2. 2
    Être pris d’épouvante.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how épouvanter appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Par quelle contradiction supposez-vous que les nations qui n’ont point été étonnées de la proclamation des droits de l’humanité seront épouvantées du châtiment de l’un de ses plus cruels oppresseurs ?
  2. Philippe, en se baissant pour mieux voir, aperçut le mouchoir encore humide de la sueur froide qui avait ruisselé du front de Louis XIV. Cette sueur épouvanta Philippe comme le sang d’Abel épouvanta Caïn.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "épouvanter"?
"épouvanter" is spelled É-P-O-U-V-A-N-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \e.pu.vɑ̃.te\.
What does "épouvanter" mean?
As a verb, "épouvanter" means: Susciter l’épouvante.
How do you pronounce "épouvanter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "épouvanter" is \e.pu.vɑ̃.te\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "épouvanter" come from?
"épouvanter" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list