affres

Inherited from Old French affre, afre, from Old Occitan affre (“horror”), from Gothic *𐌰𐌹𐍆𐍂𐍃 (*aifrs), from Proto-Germanic *aibraz (“horrible, terrible”).

• Audio:

  (file)

affres f pl (plural only)

1. (plural only) torment, torture, pain
   • 1921, Marcel Proust, Sodome et Gomorrhe:

     [I]l ne doutait pas que je l’ignorasse, et surtout il s’en effrayait. Aussi disait-il «vous le savez» pour s’éviter à lui-même les affres qu’il traverserait en prononçant les phrases destinées à me l’apprendre.

     He had no doubt that I didn't know about it, and it frightened him. He also said "you know" to avoid the torment he felt in voicing those phrases that would inform me.

2. (plural only) throes

• “affres”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.