raté

//ʁa.te//insult

What does raté mean? raté is a French moderate that translates to “failure, loser” in English.

failed one / misfire

01

"failure, loser"

The past participle of 'rater' (to miss/fail) used as a noun: a person who has failed at life. It's a cruel insult because it's total — not 'you failed at this' but 'you are a failure.' The word implies someone had potential but wasted it, which makes it sting more than simple name-calling.

'C'est un raté' — he's a failure. 'Tu finiras comme un raté' — you'll end up a failure. Often used about men who didn't live up to expectations.