attardé

straggler

noun ah-tar-DEH Rare

Also means

slow-witted person

Usage Note

Attardé literally means someone who has fallen behind or lingered too long. As a noun it can describe a latecomer or straggler in a group. Used as an adjective or noun applied to a person's mental capacity, it carries a derogatory and offensive connotation and should be avoided in polite speech; modern French prefers personne en situation de handicap mental.

Examples

"Les attardés du groupe ont fini par arriver."

Natural Translation

The stragglers of the group eventually arrived.

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