verb

saouler

get drunk

Definition & meaning

The verb saouler (also spelled soûler) primarily has two meanings in French:

To intoxicate or make drunk: This is the literal meaning, referring to the act of giving someone enough alcohol to make them drunk. When used reflexively as se saouler, it means to get oneself drunk.
To annoy or bore: In a very common informal or slang context, it means to pester, irritate, or exhaust someone, often by talking too much or being repetitive. For example, "Tu me saoules" translates to "You're getting on my nerves" or "You're boring me."

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a regular verb of the first group (ending in -er).

It is derived from the adjective saoul (or soul), which means "drunk" or "full." Historically, the term comes from the Latin satullus, a diminutive of satur, meaning "saturated" or "full." This reflects the original sense of being "filled" with drink or food.

While the traditional spelling includes a circumflex (soûler), the spelling without it (saouler) is more common in modern usage following the French orthographic rectifications.