grouiller
swarm
The French verb "grouiller" primarily means to swarm, to teem, or to be crawling/moving in large numbers. It describes a place or group filled with many small moving elements, especially living creatures or people.
Meaning:
- To describe a large number of living things (like insects, animals, or even people) moving rapidly and close together.
- Often used with phrases like "grouiller de" to mean "to be teeming with" something.
Examples:
- La plage grouillait de touristes. — The beach was teeming with tourists.
- Le bac à sable grouillait de fourmis. — The sandbox was crawling with ants.
Synonyms and differences:
- Foisonner: Also means to abound or be full of something, but is a bit more formal/literary and less vivid with movement.
- Fourmiller: Very close in meaning to "grouiller," also meaning "to swarm" or "to teem," often emphasizing constant small movements.
- Torrent (not a verb): A rush or large quantity; used metaphorically but doesn’t imply the crawling/swarming sense.
"Grouiller" often conveys liveliness and activity in a densely packed setting, making it more vivid than simply saying that a place "contains" some amount of something.
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Examples
De petits animaux commencent à grouiller sous la terre après la pluie.verb
Small animals start to swarm under the ground after the rain.
Pourquoi les enfants grouillaient-ils autour de la cuisine ce matin ?verb
Why were the children swarming around the kitchen this morning?
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