coup de foudre

English

Etymology

Borrowed fromFrenchcoup de foudre(“lightning strike”).

Noun

coup de foudre(pluralcoups de foudre)

1. Asuddenunexpected event, especially anemotionalone;love at first sight.
   • 2007,Edwin Mullins,The Popes of Avignon,Blue Bridge, published2008,page84:

     The encounter with Laura that Good Friday was acoup de foudre,and for the rest of his life he was to adore her, mostly from afar.

   • 2023,Pamela Anderson,Love, Pamela‎^[1],→ISBN:

     They immediately fell madly in love. A lightning bolt.Coup de foudre.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ku d(ə) fudʁ/

Noun

coupdefoudrem(pluralcoups de foudre)

1. lightning strike,thunderbolt

   Coordinate term:coup de tonnerre

2. (figuratively)love at first sight

   Near-synonym:coup de cœur

   Quand j’ai fait la connaissance de Henri, ç’a été lecoup de foudre!―When I met Henri, it waslove at first sight!

Italian

Etymology

BorrowedfromFrenchcoup de foudre.

Noun

coup de foudrem(invariable)

1. coup de foudre

   Synonym:colpo di fulmine