foudroyer

\fu.dʁwa.je\

/\fu.dʁwa.je\/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“foudroyer” is uncommon French (frequency #76,588 among 137,178 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,588
frequency rank, French
137,178
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Frapper de la foudre.

Key facts for foudroyer
PropertyValue
Headwordfoudroyer
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\fu.dʁwa.je\
Letters9
Frequency rank#76,588
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “foudroyer” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). foudroyer lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

foudroyer is uncommon French at frequency #76,588 among 137,178 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \fu.dʁwa.je\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

foudroyer has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable French patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is foudroyer, spelled F-O-U-D-R-O-Y-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Frapper de la foudre.
  2. 2
    Détruire à l’aide de canons, de bombes, etc.
  3. 3
    Démolir un immeuble à l’explosif en le faisant tomber verticalement sur lui-même.
  4. 4
    Anéantir ou tuer rapidement.
  5. 5
    Terrasser ; interdire ; confondre.
  6. 6
    Combattre avec véhémence ; stigmatiser avec éloquence.

This word in other languages

strike(English)fulminar(Español)fulminar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "foudroyer"?
"foudroyer" is spelled F-O-U-D-R-O-Y-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \fu.dʁwa.je\.
What does "foudroyer" mean?
As a verb, "foudroyer" means: Frapper de la foudre.
How do you pronounce "foudroyer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foudroyer" is \fu.dʁwa.je\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "foudroyer" come from?
"foudroyer" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

Using “foudroyer”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is F-O-U-D-R-O-Y-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \fu.dʁwa.je\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list