triste

\tʁist\

/\tʁist\/ adj

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

The verdict

“triste” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #1,542 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,542
frequency rank, French
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui est affligé, qui éprouve du chagrin.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

triste vs trust
67% similar
triste vs twist
67% similar
triste vs trotte
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for triste
PropertyValue
Headwordtriste
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\tʁist\
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,542
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “triste” 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). triste lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for triste is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \tʁist\. Corpus data places it at rank #1,542 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for triste, with forms such as "rtiste", "tirste", and "triset". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "trust", "twist", "trotte", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is triste, spelled T-R-I-S-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui est affligé, qui éprouve du chagrin.
  2. 2
    Qui est mélancolique ; qui n’a pas de gaieté.
  3. 3
    Qui marque de la tristesse, du chagrin, de la mélancolie.
  4. 4
    Se dit également de ce qui est inspiré par le chagrin ou par la mélancolie.
  5. 5
    Qui est affligeant ou chagrinant ; qui inspire de la mélancolie.
  6. 6
    Qui est obscur, sombre, morose.
  7. 7
    Qui est pénible, fâcheux, difficile à supporter; dans cette acception, il ne s’emploie guère qu’avec le verbe être pris impersonnellement.
  8. 8
    Qui est malheureux, funeste.
  9. 9
    Qui est piètre, regrettable, déplorable; en ce sens, il précède toujours le nom.
  10. 10
    Méprisable

Synonyms

abattuaccabléchagrinchagrinédéçudésappointédésenchantéluctueuxmalheureuxmélancoliqueneurasthénique

Antonyms

béatcomblécontentenchantéépanouigaiheureuxbienheureuxjoyeuxraviréjouisatisfait

This word in other languages

sad(English)triste(Español)traurig(Deutsch)triste(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtiste,tirste,triset,trisste,tristte,tritse,trriste,trsite,ttriste

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of triste - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

rtiste2tirste2triset2trisste1tristte1tritse2trriste1trsite2
Edit distance from "triste"

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 "triste"?
"triste" is spelled T-R-I-S-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is \tʁist\.
What does "triste" mean?
As an adjective, "triste" means: Qui est affligé, qui éprouve du chagrin.
What words are commonly confused with "triste"?
"triste" is commonly confused with "trust", "twist", "trotte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "triste"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "triste" is \tʁist\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "triste" come from?
"triste" 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.

Using “triste”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is T-R-I-S-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \tʁist\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “trust” - see the side-by-side comparison. triste vs trust
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list