brise-burnes
What does “brise-burnes” mean in English?
This refers to someone or something that is extremely annoying or bothersome. The literal translation, 'testicle breaker,' adds a humorous twist to the annoyance.
Literally “testicle breaker”
It's used similarly to calling someone a 'pain in the ass' in English, often in a light-hearted or sarcastic tone. It's informal and can be directed at people or situations.
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Related French words
emmerdeur
3/5 · VulgarAn annoying or troublesome person, often used to describe someone who's a real pain in the arse.
emmerdeuse
3/5 · VulgarThis is the feminine form of a term for someone who is annoying or troublesome. It's often used to describe bothersome behavior rather than targeting a specific trait.
tu me fais chier
3/5 · VulgarYou're really annoying me.
chieur
3/5 · VulgarIt's an insult for someone who's persistently annoying or bothersome. Literally, it means 'person who shits.'
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.