mauvais temps
bad weather
Période où il pleut, neige ou fait très froid, souvent avec beaucoup de vent et peu de soleil.
Definition & meaning
Mauvais temps means bad weather, foul weather, or inclement weather. It generally refers to unpleasant atmospheric conditions such as rain, wind, storms, cold, or snow.
- Nous avons eu du mauvais temps pendant nos vacances. — “We had bad weather during our holiday.”
- Le bateau ne sortira pas par mauvais temps. — “The boat will not go out in bad weather.”
The expression can also be used figuratively to refer to difficult times or an unfavorable period, although this meaning is less common and often depends on context.
Grammar & Word origin
- mauvais is a masculine singular adjective meaning “bad,” “poor,” or “unpleasant.”
- temps is a masculine noun that can mean “time” or “weather.” In mauvais temps, it means “weather.”
- temps is pronounced approximately /tɑ̃/; the final s is silent.
- The phrase is grammatically masculine singular because temps is masculine singular.
The word mauvais comes from Old French malvais, ultimately related to Latin malifatius, meaning “having bad fate.” Temps comes from Latin tempus, meaning “time” or “season.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- intempéries — “bad weather” or “severe weather”; more formal and often used for disruptive conditions such as heavy rain, storms, or snow.
- temps maussade — “dull” or “gloomy weather”; usually suggests gray, unpleasant weather rather than extreme conditions.
- temps exécrable — “dreadful weather”; stronger and more expressive than mauvais temps .
- météo défavorable — “unfavorable weather conditions”; more formal or technical.
Antonyms
- beau temps — “good weather” or “fine weather”; the direct opposite.
- temps favorable — “favorable weather,” often used when weather conditions are suitable for an activity.
- ciel dégagé — “clear skies”; a more specific opposite referring to the absence of clouds.
Common phrases & collocations
- par mauvais temps — in bad weather
- affronter le mauvais temps — to face or endure bad weather
- être habitué au mauvais temps — to be used to bad weather
- prévoir du mauvais temps — to forecast bad weather
- à cause du mauvais temps — because of the bad weather
- contre vents et marées — literally “against winds and tides”; figuratively, “against all odds,” often associated with overcoming difficult conditions.
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Examples
Nous restons à la maison à cause du mauvais temps.other
We are staying at home because of the bad weather.
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