adverbadverb
salement
badly
Definition & meaning
Salement is an adverb with two main meanings:
- In a dirty or messy way: Il travaille salement — “He works messily.”
- Badly, severely, or unfairly: Il a été salement blessé — “He was badly hurt.” In informal speech, it can also mean “in a nasty or underhanded way.”
Grammar & Word origin
Salement is formed from the adjective sale (“dirty”) and the adverb-forming suffix -ment. Like other French adverbs, it is invariable.
Synonyms & antonyms
- malproprement — “in an unclean way”; emphasizes a lack of cleanliness.
- gravement — “seriously” or “severely”; more neutral than salement when describing harm.
- proprement — “cleanly” or “neatly”; an antonym in the literal sense.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Pourquoi as-tu été salement traité par tes collègues ?adverb
Why were you badly treated by your colleagues?
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