Introduction
The concept of being bullied in French encompasses a wide range of expressions that capture different nuances—from overt physical abuse to subtle forms of verbal or psychological domination. Since language is heavily context-dependent, this article presents 50 distinct ways to express the idea of being bullied in French. These have been organized into four sections: synonyms of the source term, analogies and metaphors, associations of ideas, and derived expressions.
Bullied in french – 50 Ways to Say It and Related Ideas
3.1. Synonyms of the Source Term
| Source Term | Translation | Source Example | Example Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harcelé | Bullied | Il a été harcelé à l’école. | He was bullied at school. |
| Intimidé | Intimidated/Bullied | Elle a été intimidé par ses camarades. | She was bullied by her peers. |
| Victimisé | Victimized | Il se sentait constamment victimisé. | He constantly felt bullied. |
| Persécuté | Persecuted/Bullied | Elle a été persécutée pour ses opinions. | She was bullied for her beliefs. |
| Bafoué | Mocked/Bullied | Il a été bafoué par ses supérieurs. | He was bullied by his superiors. |
| Opprimé | Oppressed | Ils se sentaient opprimés par la hiérarchie. | They felt bullied by the hierarchy. |
| Moqué | Ridiculed | Il a été moqué pour son apparence. | He was bullied for his appearance. |
| Ridiculisé | Ridiculed | Elle a été ridiculisée en public. | She was bullied in public. |
| Maltraité | Mistreated/Bullied | Il a été maltraité par ses camarades. | He was bullied by his peers. |
| Chahuté | Teased/Bullied | Il a été chahuté toute la journée. | He was bullied all day. |
| Brutalisé | Brutalized | Le jeune joueur a été brutalisé par ses adversaires. | The young player was bullied by his opponents. |
| Abusé | Abused/Bullied | Elle a été abusée verbalement pendant des années. | She was bullied verbally for years. |
| Humilié | Humiliated | Il se sentait humilié après les moqueries. | He felt bullied after the taunts. |
| Ostracisé | Ostracized | Il a été ostracisé par le groupe. | He was bullied by the group. |
| Dénigré | Belittled | Elle a été dénigrée par ses rivaux. | She was bullied by her rivals. |
This table presents 15 French synonyms for bullied, covering a range of contexts from overt physical mistreatment to subtle forms of ridicule and exclusion.
3.2. Analogies and Metaphors
| Source Expression | Translation | Source Example | Example Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Se faire marcher sur les pieds | To be stepped on | Dans ce bureau, il se fait marcher sur les pieds au quotidien. | In this office, he is bullied on a daily basis. |
| Se faire rouler | To be taken for a ride | Elle se fait rouler par des collègues jaloux. | She is bullied by envious colleagues. |
| Subir le poids de l’oppression | To endure the weight of oppression | Il subit le poids de l’oppression dans son milieu de travail. | He endures the weight of bullying in his work environment. |
| Être pris pour une cible facile | To be an easy target | Dans cette école, il est souvent pris pour une cible facile. | In this school, he is an easy target. |
| Se faire écraser sous la pression | To be crushed under pressure | Elle se fait écraser sous la pression des critiques incessantes. | She is bullied, crushed under the weight of constant criticism. |
| Se faire bousculer | To be pushed around | Dans la foule, certains se font bousculer sans défense. | In the crowd, some are bullied and pushed around defenselessly. |
| Être pris pour un punching-ball | To be taken for a punching bag | Depuis son arrivée, il est pris pour un punching-ball par ses camarades. | Since his arrival, he has been bullied like a punching bag by his peers. |
| Se faire rabrouer sans cesse | To be constantly chewed out | Elle se fait rabrouer sans cesse par son entourage. | She is bullied by being constantly chewed out by those around her. |
| Se faire assommer par les railleries | To be knocked down by ridicule | Il se fait assommer par les railleries de ses collègues. | He is bullied, knocked down by his colleagues’ ridicule. |
| Se faire mettre au pas | To be forced into line | Ils cherchent à le faire mettre au pas par la menace constante. | They bully him into line through constant threats. |
| Être traité comme un moins que rien | To be treated like a nobody | Il est traité comme un moins que rien, sans aucun respect. | He is bullied by being treated like a nobody, with no respect. |
| Se faire submerger par l’intimidation | To be overwhelmed by bullying | Elle se fait submerger par l’intimidation quotidienne. | She is bullied, overwhelmed by daily intimidation. |
| Être mis à l’écart avec mépris | To be sidelined with contempt | Il est systématiquement mis à l’écart avec mépris par le groupe. | He is bullied by being consistently sidelined with contempt by the group. |
| Se faire éclabousser de moqueries | To be doused in ridicule | Lors de la réunion, il se fait éclabousser de moqueries. | During the meeting, he is bullied by a deluge of ridicule. |
| Être la cible d’une tempête de brimades | To be the target of a barrage of bullying | Dans cet environnement toxique, il est la cible d’une tempête de brimades. | In that toxic environment, he is bullied as the target of a barrage of taunts. |
These 15 analogies and metaphors illustrate the figurative language used to describe the experience of being bullied in French, emphasizing the emotional and physical weight of such treatment.
3.3. Associations of Ideas
| Source Term | Translation | Source Example | Example Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusion | Exclusion | L’exclusion sociale accompagne souvent le harcèlement. | Social exclusion often accompanies bullying. |
| Harcèlement | Harassment | Le harcèlement peut prendre de multiples formes. | Bullying can take many forms. |
| Injustice | Injustice | L’injustice ressentie amplifie la douleur du harcèlement. | The injustice felt amplifies the pain of bullying. |
| Isolement | Isolation | L’isolement est souvent la conséquence du harcèlement prolongé. | Isolation is often the result of prolonged bullying. |
| Oppression | Oppression | L’oppression ressentie dans certains milieux renforce le sentiment d’injustice. | The oppression felt in certain environments reinforces the sense of injustice. |
| Stigmatisation | Stigmatization | La stigmatisation intensifie l’impact psychologique du harcèlement. | Stigmatization intensifies the psychological impact of bullying. |
| Dévalorisation | Belittlement | La dévalorisation constante érode la confiance en soi. | Constant belittlement erodes self-confidence. |
| Intimidation | Intimidation | L’intimidation est au cœur du phénomène de harcèlement. | Intimidation is at the heart of bullying. |
| Subjugation | Subjugation | La subjugation des individus renforce le cycle du harcèlement. | The subjugation of individuals reinforces the cycle of bullying. |
| Inégalité | Inequality | L’inégalité perçue favorise les comportements de harcèlement. | Perceived inequality can foster bullying behavior. |
The associations listed above connect the idea of being bullied with related social and psychological concepts, highlighting the broader context in which bullying occurs.
3.4. Derived Expressions
| Source Term | Translation | Source Example | Example Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-harcèlement | Anti-bullying | Les initiatives anti-harcèlement améliorent le climat scolaire. | Anti-bullying initiatives improve the school climate. |
| Harceleur | Bully | Le comportement du harceleur est inacceptable. | The bully’s behavior is unacceptable. |
| Anti-intimidation | Anti-intimidation | Les mesures anti-intimidation se sont renforcées récemment. | Anti-intimidation measures have been strengthened recently. |
| Résilience | Resilience | Sa résilience face au harcèlement est remarquable. | Her resilience in the face of bullying is remarkable. |
| Encadrement anti-harcèlement | Anti-bullying framework | L’encadrement anti-harcèlement a été instauré dans toutes les écoles. | The anti-bullying framework has been implemented in all schools. |
| Formation contre le harcèlement | Anti-bullying training | La formation contre le harcèlement est obligatoire dans certaines institutions. | Anti-bullying training is mandatory in certain institutions. |
| Intervention précoce | Early intervention | L’intervention précoce aide à contrer le harcèlement. | Early intervention helps counter bullying. |
| Stratégie d’autodéfense | Self-defense strategy | Elle a adopté une stratégie d’autodéfense contre les brimades. | She adopted a self-defense strategy against bullying. |
| Mécanismes de coping | Coping mechanisms | Les mécanismes de coping aident à surmonter les séquelles du harcèlement. | Coping mechanisms help overcome the aftermath of bullying. |
| Programme de soutien | Support program | Le programme de soutien pour les victimes de harcèlement a été lancé récemment. | The support program for bullying victims was recently launched. |
The derived expressions demonstrate how the concept of being bullied has given rise to various related terms and initiatives aimed at addressing and preventing such behavior.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the translation and expression of being bullied in French is far from monolithic. Through exploring synonyms, analogies and metaphors, associated ideas, and derived expressions, we gain insight into the complexity of this social phenomenon. Each of these 50 ways highlights a distinct facet of the experience, underscoring that language—and its cultural context—offers a rich palette for expressing the nuances of human experience.
