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soupirant

suitor, admirer

noun soo-pee-RAHN Rare
People & Society Relationships

Usage Note

Soupirant literally means 'one who sighs' (from soupirer, to sigh), reflecting the courtly-love image of a sighing lover. It is now mildly humorous or old-fashioned, used to describe an earnest but often unsuccessful admirer. There is no standard feminine form; the word typically refers to a man courting a woman.

Examples

"Elle avait plusieurs soupirants mais n'aimait personne."

Natural Translation

She had several suitors but loved no one.

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