saboteur

noun sah-boh-TER Rare

Origin: French 'saboter' (to bungle, to sabotage), from 'sabot' (wooden shoe)

Usage Note

Saboteur names a person who deliberately damages or undermines something. The word entered English directly from French during WWII contexts. The feminine form is une saboteuse. The original connection to sabot (clog) reflects the idea of workers throwing shoes into machinery.

Examples

"Les saboteurs ont détruit le pont pendant la guerre."

Natural Translation

The saboteurs destroyed the bridge during the war.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 1 to 100: Count With Confidence

French numbers 1 to 100 in one complete chart, with pronunciation, the et-un rule, hyphens, and the four-twenties system explained so you can count anywhere.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read