adjectiveverbnounother

gonflé

inflate · swollen · nerve

Definition & meaning

Inflated or swollen: filled with air or another substance, or enlarged by swelling. It can describe a balloon, a tire, or a part of the body.
Bloated or inflated: artificially increased or exaggerated, as with prices or figures.
Cheeky or audacious: in informal French, someone who dares to do something considered bold or improper. Depending on context, it can express admiration or disapproval.

Grammar & Word origin

Gonflé is the masculine singular form of an adjective and the past participle of gonfler , “to inflate” or “to swell.”

It agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes: masculine plural gonflés, feminine singular gonflée, and feminine plural gonflées.

Synonyms & antonyms

gonflé — in the sense of swollen: enflé means “swollen,” especially for a body part; it does not usually mean “inflated with air.”
gonflé — in the sense of exaggerated: exagéré means “exaggerated” more generally.
gonflé — in the sense of cheeky: audacieux means “daring” and is often more positive; culotté is informal and can mean “cheeky” or “bold.”
Antonyms include dégonflé , “deflated,” and dégonflé in its informal sense of “lacking courage.”