à contrecœur

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à contrecœur

/ˌæ ˌkɒn.tɹəˈkɜː/ UK
/-ˌkɒ̃-/ UK
/-ˈkəː/ UK
/ˌɑ ˌkɑn.tɹəˈkɚ/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French à contrecœur, à contre-cœur, from Old French avoir a contrecuer, avoir contrecœur (“to dislike”), from à (“for, with”) + contre-cœur (“aversion, dislike”) (contre (“against”) + cœur (“heart”)); compare Old French estre contre coer a (“to be adverse to”).

adverb à contre-coeur · à contre-cœur · à contrecoeur

not comparable Reluctantly, unwillingly, with disgust. Xtien was young at the time and had met him after her father's death, didn't know then what she knows now, and when the man died there she was alone with her child – forsaken, without a penny. À contrecœur went on the streets, became ill, was taken to hospital, in all sorts of trouble …

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MLA

"à contrecœur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/%C3%A0%20contrec%C5%93ur. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

à contrecœur. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A0%20contrec%C5%93ur

Chicago

"à contrecœur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A0%20contrec%C5%93ur.

BibTeX

@misc{a_contrec_ur_2026,
  title = {à contrecœur},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/%C3%A0%20contrec%C5%93ur},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}