87 French words ending in -eux you already know.
English -ous becomes -eux, and the meaning stays the same. Here are all 87, the most common first.
English → French
- sérieuxserioussay it say-RYUHin the 1000-word book, number 822
- dangereuxdangeroussay it dah(n)-zhuh-RUHin the 1000-word book, number 972
- nerveuxnervoussay it nehr-VUH
- mystérieuxmysterioussay it mees-tay-RYUH
- fameuxfamoussay it fah-MUH
All 87, the most common first.
Ordered by how often each word turns up in French films and books. A chip like in the 1000-word book, number 822 marks the words in The 1000 Most Common French Words, with their rank in the book.
All 87 words, most common first.
- Number 1serioussérieuxin the 1000-word book, number 822
- Number 2dangerousdangereuxin the 1000-word book, number 972
- Number 3marvelousmerveilleux
- Number 4curiouscurieux
- Number 5nervousnerveux
- Number 6joyousjoyeux
- Number 7mysteriousmystérieux
- Number 8famousfameux
- Number 9furiousfurieux
- Number 10preciousprécieux
- Number 11deliciousdélicieux
- Number 12generousgénéreux
- Number 13luminouslumineux
- Number 14courageouscourageux
- Number 15fabulousfabuleux
- Number 16monstrousmonstrueux
- Number 17gloriousglorieux
- Number 18odiousodieux
- Number 19graciousgracieux
- Number 20prodigiousprodigieux
- Number 21sumptuoussomptueux
- Number 22anxiousanxieux
- Number 23miraculousmiraculeux
- Number 24vigorousvigoureux
- Number 25scandalousscandaleux
- Number 26imperiousimpérieux
- Number 27hideoushideux
- Number 28victoriousvictorieux
- Number 29audaciousaudacieux
- Number 30ambitiousambitieux
- Number 31pretentiousprétentieux
- Number 32rigorousrigoureux
- Number 33capriciouscapricieux
- Number 34contagiouscontagieux
- Number 35disastrousdésastreux
- Number 36desirousdésireux
- Number 37virtuousvertueux
- Number 38meticulousméticuleux
- Number 39prestigiousprestigieux
- Number 40laboriouslaborieux
- Number 41harmoniousharmonieux
- Number 42perilouspérilleux
- Number 43ingeniousingénieux
- Number 44tumultuoustumultueux
- Number 45sinuoussinueux
- Number 46superstitioussuperstitieux
- Number 47advantageousavantageux
- Number 48spaciousspacieux
- Number 49voluminousvolumineux
- Number 50venomousvenimeux
- Number 51pompouspompeux
- Number 52conscientiousconsciencieux
- Number 53insidiousinsidieux
- Number 54studiousstudieux
- Number 55adventurousaventureux
- Number 56scrupulousscrupuleux
- Number 57judiciousjudicieux
- Number 58impetuousimpétueux
- Number 59tortuoustortueux
- Number 60porousporeux
- Number 61melodiousmélodieux
- Number 62cavernouscaverneux
- Number 63hazardoushasardeux
- Number 64enviousenvieux
- Number 65nauseousnauséeux
- Number 66perniciouspernicieux
- Number 67fallaciousfallacieux
- Number 68presumptuousprésomptueux
- Number 69ruinousruineux
- Number 70suspicioussuspicieux
- Number 71onerousonéreux
- Number 72gelatinousgélatineux
- Number 73mountainousmontagneux
- Number 74nebulousnébuleux
- Number 75facetiousfacétieux
- Number 76intravenousintraveineux
- Number 77cancerouscancéreux
- Number 78ignominiousignominieux
- Number 79populouspopuleux
- Number 80infectiousinfectieux
- Number 81industriousindustrieux
- Number 82seditiousséditieux
- Number 83aqueousaqueux
- Number 84calamitouscalamiteux
- Number 85fibrousfibreux
- Number 86ferrousferreux
- Number 87speciousspécieux
How we counted
- Everyday words only: each one turns up at least once in every two million words of French films and books (Lexique 3.83).
- Each has a real English twin that people still use, and the twin means the same thing. We checked every word against a dictionary, then by hand. Sometimes the start of the word is spelled the French way: courageous is courageux.
- We left out 4 words that look like English ones but mean something else, like malicieux, which means mischievous. We also skip a few words to do with sex, violence, religion or politics.
Learn the top 1000 first
1000 Most Common French Words
The 1,000 words that make up about 70% of everyday written French, grouped by theme and by the patterns that link French to English, each with IPA, an easy English respelling and three example sentences glossed word by word.