nounnounverb

le muscle

muscle · strengthen

C'est une partie du corps qui permet de bouger et de faire des efforts.

Definition & meaning

Muscle is a masculine French noun meaning muscle: the body tissue that contracts to produce movement and help maintain posture.

It can also be used figuratively to mean strength, force, or power, especially when describing a person, group, or organization.

Grammar & Word origin

Gender: masculine — un muscle.
Plural: des muscles.
Pronunciation: /myskl/.
It comes from Latin musculus, meaning “little mouse,” a name inspired by the appearance or movement of certain muscles.

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no exact, general synonym for muscle. Musculature — la musculature — refers to the body’s muscles collectively, rather than to one individual muscle.

There is no direct antonym. In figurative use, weakness — la faiblesse — can contrast with muscle when the word means strength or power.

Common phrases & collocations

un muscle cardiaque — a heart muscle.
un muscle lisse — a smooth muscle, found in organs such as the intestines.
un muscle strié — a striated muscle.
se muscler — to build or strengthen one’s muscles; also, figuratively, to become stronger or more capable.