French verbs beginning with L

140 verbs with English meanings. Select a verb to see its conjugation.

• labelliserto label; to approve, to give official status to (figurative)
• labialiserto labialize
• labourerto plough (transitive)
• labéliserto label; to approve, to give official status to (figurative)
• lacerto lace, to lace up
• lactonisertransform into a lactone (chem.)
• lacérerlacerate (to tear, rip or wound)
• ladinisermake someone speak a Romance language
• lainerraise the nap of woollen cloth; apply powdered wool to wallpaper
• laisserleave; let; allow
• laitonnercover or reinforce with brass wire
• lambinerto dawdle (intransitive)
• lambrisserto panel
• lamerto flatten (transitive)
• laminerto laminate; to beat (figurative)
• lamperto quaff, to swig (transitive)
• lancerthrow; launch; start
• lancinerto inflict a sharp pain; to torment, to trouble (figurative)
• langerto diaper (to put diapers on someone); change a baby
• langueyerexamine a pig's tongue for disease; fit organ pipes with reeds (veterinary medicine) (music)
• languirto languish (intransitive); to lie torpid (intransitive); to flag, die down, slack off, be slack (intransitive); to wither, weaken (intransitive)
• lanternerto dilly-dally (intransitive); to delay or put off (transitive)
• laperto lap (a liquid) (transitive)
• lapiderto stone; to lapidate (pelt with stones); to attack verbally (figurative, informal)
• lapidifierto lapidify
• lapinergive birth to young (of rabbits); have many children (slang)
• lapiniserto lapinize
• laquerto lacquer (transitive)
• larderto lard; to smear food with lard; to stab; to pierce
• lardonnercut bacon into small strips or pieces; spend the day doing little (informal)
• larguerto unfurl (transitive); to ease (a line) (transitive); to drop (a bomb, parachute) (transitive); to ditch, dump (break up with) (informal, transitive)
• larmoyerto weep, sob (intransitive); to build up with tears; water up (intransitive); to whine, whinge (intransitive); to drip (intransitive)
• larverto do nothing
• laryngectomiserremove the larynx surgically
• lasserto tire, weary, bore (transitive); to become exhausted (reflexive)
• latiniserto Latinize
• latterto lath
• latéraliserto lateralize
• latériserturn into laterite
• latéritiserturn soil into laterite; become lateritic
• laudaniseradd laudanum to
• laverwash; clean; wash clothes
• layerto trail a path in a forest (transitive)
• laïciserto laicize; to secularize (transitive)
• laïusserto waffle
• lemmatiserto lemmatize
• lessiverto launder, to wash clothes (transitive); to tire out (figurative, intransitive)
• lesterto ballast (transitive)
• leurrerto deceive, lure
• leverraise; lift; collect a tax; lift a restriction; get up (se lever)
• levretterto hunt with hounds; to give birth (of a hare); to copulate in the rear (vulgar)
• lexicaliserlexicalize (to convert to a single lexical unit)
• liaisonnerto joint; to fill joints; to bond
• libaniserto Lebanize
• libellerto write; make out; write out (a check) (transitive); to price; price up (a product) (transitive)
• libéraliserto liberalize (to make liberal)
• libérerfree; release; make available
• licencierto fire, to sack (to terminate the employment of); to license
• licherlick; sip
• lichénifierto make lichened
• lichénisertransform into lichen (botany)
• liciterto auction (transitive)
• liertie; link; connect; bind
• lifterto give a facelift to; to lift the ball (over an opponent)
• ligaturerto ligate (tie up with a ligature)
• lignerto line, make a line (mark with a line); to line (add lines to a surface); to fish with a line; to fold up (a sail) (rare)
• ligoterto bind, tie up (transitive)
• liguerto gang up; to be in league (reflexive)
• likerto like
• limerto file (for nails, to smooth with a file); to fuck, shag, pound (vulgar)
• limiterto mark, to limit (to show a physical limit or boundary); to limit (to state a limit for)
• limogerto dismiss (usually of senior staff, such as a minister, general, bishop, ambassador, etc), kick upstairs (transitive)
• limousinerlay a rough stone foundation
• lingerdress well (rare)
• linéariserto linearize
• liquiderto liquidate, pay off, settle (a debt); to sell off (goods); to liquidate, bump off (kill)
• liquéfierto liquefy/liquify
• lireread
• lisererto edge
• lisserto smooth; to level; to straighten
• listerlist (to create a list)
• lisérerto edge with ribbon
• literlay in successive layers; lay on a bed of sand, mortar or putty; stratify
• lithifierturn into stone; consolidate into rock
• lithochromiserreproduce in lithochromy
• lithographierto print using lithography
• littérariserto give a literary character to
• livrerdeliver; hand over; reveal; wage a battle
• liégerto cork a fishing net
• loberto lob (transitive)
• lobotomiserto lobotomize (North America), to lobotomise (UK, Australia)
• localiserto locate; to run to ground, to run to earth (transitive); to localise (transitive)
• locherto shake, in particular a tree to get its fruits (regional)
• lockouterto declare a lockout
• loferto luff (intransitive); to luff up, bear up (intransitive)
• logerto lodge, to stay, to be lodging (to temporarily inhabit) (intransitive); to find (someone) a place to stay (transitive); to fit into (intransitive)
• lombaliserto acquire lumbar structure
• longerto walk along, run along
• loquerdress; tan a sail (regional, nautical)
• lorgnerto ogle (transitive); to leer (transitive); to covet (transitive); to look at using a monocle or lorgnette (transitive)
• lotionnerto lotion; to apply lotion to
• lotirto parcel out (divide into lots) (transitive)
• louangerto praise; to laud
• loucherto be cross-eyed, to be squint-eyed, to squint; squint (to look with eyes that are turned in different directions); glance
• louerrent; rent out; hire; praise
• louperto miss; to fail
• lourderto fire someone (slang, transitive); to be fired (intransitive, slang)
• lourerplay detached notes without shortening their duration
• louverto drill a hole in a stone for the attachment of a wedge (transitive)
• louvetergive birth to wolf cubs; open out wool fibres with a machine
• louvoyerto tack; to avoid verbal commitment, to hedge (figurative)
• loverto coil (a rope or cord), to fake a line; to coil up, wind up; to curl up (reflexive); to snuggle up to, to snuggle up against (reflexive)
• lubrifierto lubricate (make slippery or smooth) (transitive); to be lubricated
• lugerto luge
• luireto shine; to glimmer (intransitive)
• luncherto lunch
• lustrerto polish, make shinier by polishing (transitive); to shine, give off a shine (reflexive)
• luterseal a vessel with heat-resistant cement; seal a lid with flour-and-water paste
• lutinerto tease, provoke
• lutterto struggle, to fight (intransitive); to wrestle
• lutéiniserproduce lutein
• luxerto luxate (transitive)
• lyncherto lynch
• lyophiliserto lyophilize
• lyriserExalt with lyricism; set to music
• lâcherlet go of; release; loosen; abandon
• lécherto lick; to polish, to refine (one's work) (figurative, informal)
• légaliserto legalize (make legal) (transitive)
• légenderto caption (transitive)
• légiférerto legislate (to pass laws)
• légitimerto legitimize
• légitimiserlegitimize
• léguerto will, to bequeath; to hand down, pass on (traditions etc.)
• lénifierto assuage; to lenify
• léserto wrong; to do wrong by (someone); to harm, to hurt (transitive); to lesion (to produce a lesion in) (transitive)
• lésinerto skimp, to overly limit one's spending, to be frugal to an excessive degree (intransitive)
• lévigergrind into a fine powder and process in water
• lézarderto crack (transitive); to bask (in the sun) (intransitive)
• se lamenterto lament; to bewail; to bemoan (reflexive)
• se lignifierto lignify