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French Expression
| Meaning | to ignore, flout, look down on | |
| Literally | to make disdain about | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[fehr fee deu] |
| IPA | [fɜʁ fi də] | |
Usage notes: The archaic interjection fi ! indicated disdain or disgust, along the lines of pouah ! or berk ! There was also fi donc ! which expressed the speaker’s disdain for another’s attitude or behavior.
Today, the word fi survives in only two places:
- In joking references to that original meaning – sort of like an English speaker might say "fie on you!"
- In the colloquial expression faire fi de, which means "to ignore" or "to flout."
Par exemple…
| Ma fille fait fi de mes conseils. | My daughter ignores my advice. | |
| Ils ont toujours fait fi des règlements. | They’ve always flouted the rules. | |
| En faisant fi de la politesse, elle gâche ses relations. | By looking down on politeness, she ruins her relationships. |
Synonyms
- braver
- dédaigner
- défier
- délaisser
- ignorer
- méconnaître
- mépriser
- négliger
- ne pas attacher d’importance à
- ne pas tenir compte de
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