verb

ravaler

swallow

The verb ravaler has three primary meanings in French:

To swallow again or to suppress: It is most commonly used in the phrase "ravaler sa salive" (to swallow one's saliva), which figuratively means to hold back a sharp retort or to swallow one's pride. It can also mean to suppress an emotion or a cry.
To renovate or restore the exterior: In the context of construction and architecture, it refers to cleaning or repairing the facade of a building (ravalement de façade).
To debase or lower: It can mean to lower someone's status, dignity, or character, effectively bringing them down to a lower level of esteem.

Grammar:

Word origin:

The word is composed of the prefix re- (indicating repetition or a backward movement) and the verb avaler (to swallow).
Historically, the sense of "renovating a facade" comes from the idea of "clearing away" or "cleaning off" the old layer of the wall, essentially "re-swallowing" or scraping back the surface to restore it.

Synonyms:

In the sense of suppressing or swallowing: avaler, retenir, étouffer.
In the sense of renovating a facade: restaurer, rénover, nettoyer.
In the sense of debasing: abaisser, dégrader, humilier.

Antonyms:

Make “ravaler” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Elle a dû ravaler sa fierté après son erreur.verb

She had to swallow her pride after her mistake.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).