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farouche

American  
[fa-roosh] / faˈruʃ /

adjective

French.
  1. fierce.

  2. sullenly unsociable or shy.


farouche British  
/ faruʃ /

adjective

  1. sullen or shy

  2. socially inept

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of farouche

First recorded in 1760–70; from French, from Old French faro(u)che, forasche; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Late Latin forāsticus “belonging outside or out of doors” (i.e., not fit to be inside), a derivative of the adverb and preposition forās (also forīs ) “(to the) outside, abroad”; door ( def. ); savage ( def. ) for similar semantic development

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clinch’s Marley is one of the great farouche characters, at once frightening and dangerously attractive.

From New York Times

Guileless, farouche, wholly uninhibited in her reading of Marston's choreography, she projects a reach-out-and-touch-me naturalness that compels both pity and wonder.

From The Guardian

But nowadays the truly farouche is but a curl of wood smoke in a hacked about forest clearing: soon it will be dispersed forever by the gritty wind of civilisation.

From The Guardian

But, then, I feel he's really too old, too farouche and g�teux; it would not be doing a kindness to him, would it?

From Project Gutenberg

On those days we say very tender things, although it is agreed that there shall always be one farouche when the other loves.”

From Project Gutenberg