gueuler
What does gueuler mean? gueuler is a French moderate that translates to “to scream, to yell, to bellow” in English.
Literal Translation
to yell like an animal (from gueule)
Meaning & Usage
"to scream, to yell, to bellow"
To shout or scream loudly and aggressively — with the implication of an animal's roar rather than a human's speech. 'Il gueule' means he's screaming his head off. It's the verb behind 'ta gueule' (shut up) and 'engueuler' (to yell at someone).
Examples in the Wild
'Arrête de gueuler!' — stop yelling! 'Il gueule sur ses employés toute la journée' — he screams at his employees all day. 'Pousser un coup de gueule' — to sound off.
When to Use It
Context
- Casual conversations with friends
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- As a spontaneous exclamation
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
An essential piece of the 'gueule' word family that dominates colloquial French. 'Coup de gueule' (a gueule-hit) is the standard French term for a public rant or outburst — journalists 'poussent un coup de gueule' when they write angry opinion pieces. The word normalizes loud expression in a culture that values it.
More in French 🇫🇷
View all →garce
“bitch / slut”
Female dog; used as insult toward women.
se barrer
“to get out, to bolt, to take off”
Another crude way to say 'to leave,' slightly less aggressive than 'se casser.' 'Barre-toi' is 'get out of here.' 'Je me barre' is 'I'm leaving.' The word implies leaving quickly, sometimes covertly — sneaking out of a boring party or fleeing a bad situation.
con / conne
“stupid / idiot / asshole (fem: bitch)”
Originally vulgar slang for female genitalia (cunt), now primarily means 'stupid' or 'idiot' in France. The feminine 'conne' is more offensive than 'con'.
crade
“gross, filthy, nasty”
Slang contraction of 'crasseux' (filthy) that became its own word. It describes anything disgustingly dirty — a room, a person, a habit. Less intense than 'dégueulasse' but covers the same territory. The extended form 'cradingue' adds emphasis through its playful suffix.
raclure
“scum, lowlife, bottom-feeder”
What you scrape off the bottom of a pot — the residue, the dregs. Applied to a person, it means they're the lowest of the low, the scum of society. It's a creative insult that paints a vivid picture of worthlessness.
nique
“fuck”
The raw verb form of 'niquer,' used on its own as a crude exclamation or command. Unlike 'baiser,' which has a polite meaning (to kiss) that was slowly corrupted, 'niquer' has always been purely vulgar — borrowed from Arabic and arriving in French already loaded.
chier
“to shit / to annoy”
To defecate; also used in expressions meaning 'to annoy' or 'bore'.
dégueulasse
“disgusting, gross, nasty”
The go-to French word for expressing physical or moral disgust. It covers everything from a filthy bathroom to a politician's corruption scandal. Shortened to 'dégueu' in casual speech, which somehow sounds even more disgusted despite being shorter.