French verbs beginning with M

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

• macadamiserto macadamize
• macdonaldiserto make resemble McDonald's
• machinerto equip with machines (transitive); to machinate (transitive); to scheme (transitive)
• maclerto stir; to mix molten glass; to form twin crystal intergrowths
• maculerto mark; to spoil (with a mark or marks)
• macérerto soak; to macerate
• madrigaliserto make madrigals
• madériserto oxidize wine
• magasinerto shop; to go shopping (intransitive); to shop around; to compare products, services, prices, or terms before making a purchase or commitment (intransitive); to shop for; to seek out, compare, or evaluate products or services before purchasing or selecting them (transitive); to shop for oneself; to seek out or obtain something for oneself by shopping around (reflexive)
• magnifierto exalt with praise; usually in reference to God
• magnétiserto magnetise (UK), to magnetize (US)
• magnétoscoperto record, to tape (using a videocassette recorder)
• magouillerto wangle, to achieve by contrivance or trickery (informal, intransitive)
• magyariserto Magyarize
• maigrirto slim, to get slim, to lose weight
• mailerto email (send an email)
• maillerto mesh; to work, to pursue an activity for payment (intransitive, slang)
• maintenirmaintain; keep; hold in place; uphold
• majorerto increase (transitive); to overestimate, to exaggerate (transitive)
• makhzénisersubjugate to Moroccan state influence
• malaxerto knead; to massage
• malléabiliserto malleablize
• malmenerto mistreat; to misuse, use incorrectly
• malterto malt
• maltraiterto mistreat
• managerto manage (informal)
• mandaterto appoint, elect, commission (transitive)
• manderto inform, to send news of (transitive); to command, summon (obsolete)
• mandrinerto pierce with a mandrin
• mangeotterto eat with little appetite (informal)
• mangereat
• manierto handle, manipulate, wield (an object); to use (software); to knead
• manifesterto manifest or demonstrate; to protest (to speak out against something)
• manigancerto conspire, scheme, plot
• manipulerto manipulate
• maniérerbecome mannered
• manquermiss; lack; fail to; be missed by
• manucurergive a manicure
• manufacturerto manufacture (dated)
• manutentionnerto handle (transitive)
• maquerto be in a romantic relationship (informal); to go out together, to have a romantic relationship (informal)
• maquereauteract as a pimp
• maquerelleract as a pimp or go-between; live at someone else’s expense; meddle or gossip
• maquignonnerto negotiate unfairly; to conceal defects; to defraud
• maquillerto disguise, cover or apply makeup (to); to dress up, to embellish; to make up (a story, lie, scenario, etc.), to fabricate; to pretend
• marauderto pilfer (intransitive); to prowl (intransitive)
• marbrerto marble (create a marbled effect)
• marchanderto bargain over, to haggle over; to haggle, to dicker
• marchandiserto merchandise something (engage in in-store promotion of the sale of something) (transitive)
• marcherwalk; work; function
• marcotterto layer (transitive)
• margaudercall (of a quail); have sex with a woman (slang)
• margerto margin (to give something a margin)
• marginaliserto marginalise (to relegate to the margins; to exclude socially or otherwise) (transitive)
• marginerto marginate
• margotercall (of a quail); yowl (of a cat in heat)
• margotterto crow; to call
• mariermarry two people; marry someone off; combine; get married (se marier)
• marinerto marinate
• marivauderto engage in refined, subtle conversation about love
• marmiterbombard
• marmonnerto murmur, mumble
• marmorisertransform into marble (Didactic)
• marmotterto mumble, mutter
• marnerto marl (transitive); to slog (work hard) (informal, intransitive)
• marocaniserto Moroccanize
• maronnerto abandon someone on a deserted island; to pirate; to be cross
• maroquinerfinish leather or paper to resemble morocco leather
• marotiserimitate Clément Marot's style
• marouflerglue; smooth; cheat
• marquermark; indicate; score; leave an impression on
• marqueterto checker
• marronnerto curl hair in large ringlets; to run away from slavery; to mutter
• marsupialisersuture forming a pouch; develop outside the mother's body
• martelerto strike with a hammer; to hammer (transitive); to shape or forge with a hammer (transitive); to emphasise individual elements such as words or notes (transitive); to repeat insistently (transitive)
• martingaliserplay a gambling game using a martingale
• martyriserto cause a great a deal of pain to somebody; torture, bully, torment (transitive); to martyr (to make someone a martyr) (rare, transitive)
• marxiserto make Marxist, convert to Marxism
• masculiniserto masculinize (make (more) masculine)
• masquerto mask; to hide
• massacrerto massacre (to kill); to botch (to do something badly) (figurative)
• masserto massage
• massicotercut paper with a guillotine
• massifierto massify
• mastiquerto masticate (to chew)
• masturberto masturbate (another person) (transitive); to masturbate (oneself) (reflexive); to masturbate (each other) (reflexive)
• matcherto face off; to face (in a competition); to match (e.g. on dating app)
• matelasserto pad, cushion (transitive)
• materto checkmate (transitive); to suppress, quell (a revolution, person, insurrection) (figurative, transitive); to ogle, to check out, to watch (e.g. an attractive person) (slang, transitive)
• maternaliserto maternalize
• maternerto mother, mollycoddle (transitive)
• materniseradapt milk to make its composition closer to breast milk; take on a maternal character
• mathématisermathematize (describe in terms of a mathematical equation)
• matifierto make matte
• matirto make matte
• matraquerto club; to hype
• matricerto dub (add audio track to a film)
• matriculerto assign a serial number to
• matérialiserto realize, to make happen, to materialize (to cause to take physical form) (transitive); to materialize (to take physical form) (reflexive)
• maudireto curse (transitive)
• maugréerto grumble (intransitive)
• maximaliserto maximize
• maximiserto maximize (transitive)
• mazerrefine (pig iron) before final refining
• mazouterto pollute with petrol or oil
• maçonnerto face, render (a wall, etc.) (transitive); to brick up (transitive)
• maîtriserto master, have authority over somebody; to dominate, overcome, conquer, control; be master of (figurative); to master, to be able to, to know how to accomplish very well
• mellifierto make honey
• menacerthreaten; endanger
• mendierto beg (plead for money or goods)
• mendigoterbeg
• menerlead; conduct; take someone somewhere; be ahead
• menotterto handcuff
• mensualiserto pay monthly (transitive)
• mentaliservisualize
• mentionnerto mention
• mentirlie; tell an untruth
• menuiserto do craftwork or small handiwork
• mercantiliserto give a commercial character to
• merceriserto mercerise
• merderto fuck up, to screw up (make errors) (vulgar)
• merdoyerbungle; get into a muddle (vulgar)
• meringuerto cover with a layer of meringue
• mesmériserto mesmerize
• messeoirto be unsuitable; to be unwanted (archaic)
• mesurerto measure (intransitive)
• mettreput; place; put on
• meublerto furnish (transitive); to break the silence (intransitive)
• meuglerto moo, to low
• meulerto sharpen on a grindstone
• meuliérisergive the properties of millstone grit to
• meurtrirto injure, hurt; to bruise, especially in reference to fruit; to leave a contusion (transitive); to hurt or injure someone's feelings (transitive); to murder (obsolete, transitive)
• mexicaniserto make Mexican
• miaulerto meow, meowl, mew (intransitive)
• microfilmerto microfilm
• microminiaturiserreduce to microscopic scale
• microniserreduce to microscopic particles
• mignoterpamper; caress
• migrerto migrate
• mijoterto simmer (intransitive)
• militariserto militarize (transitive)
• militerto militate; to campaign for, to be militant about
• millésimermark with the year of production; label a vintage
• mimerto mime; to mimic
• mimétisermimic
• minauderto simper
• mincirto become thinner or slimmer (intransitive)
• minerto mine, exploit natural riches; to undermine; to erode (transitive)
• miniaturerto paint miniatures
• miniaturiserto miniaturize, to scale down
• minimaliserto minimize
• minimiserTo lessen the importance of in the mind of people; to belittle, downplay, understate; To reduce the effect of; to minimize; To minimize the file size or dimension of (informal)
• miniteliserequip with a Minitel system; endow with Minitel characteristics
• minorerto diminish the value (of) (transitive)
• minoriserto diminish
• minotaurisercuckold; be unfaithful to a spouse
• minuterto time (transitive); to take minutes (of a meeting) (transitive)
• minéraliserto mineralize (transitive)
• miraculerto save by means of a miracle (transitive)
• mirerto reflect (reflexive); to watch intensely, to stare (dated, literary)
• miroiterto sparkle, gleam
• miserto bet (place a bet)
• missionnerto commission
• miterto be eaten by mites or moths (reflexive); to construct buildings in an unregulated pattern
• mithridatiserto immunize against a poison by taking small amounts of it
• mitigerto deacidify (make less acidic) (dated); to mitigate, soften (dated)
• mitonnerto simmer, slow-cook
• mitraillerto machine-gun, to fire; to snap away (take many photos of) (transitive); to pummel (have hard sex with) (transitive, vulgar)
• mixerto mix
• mixtionnermix
• mobiliserto mobilize (transitive)
• modaliserexpress the speaker’s attitude through modal forms or words (linguistics)
• modelerto model, to mould (physically change the shape of) (transitive); to shape (e.g. a character) (transitive)
• moderniserto modernize
• modifierto change, modify
• modulerto modulate (transitive); to modulate (to move from one key or tonality to another, especially by using a chord progression) (intransitive)
• modéliserto model (construct a physical or conceptual model)
• modérantisermoderate
• modérerto moderate, temper, lessen, weaken etc (transitive); to practice moderation (reflexive); to moderate, act as moderator, notably in a gremium (transitive)
• moinifierlive a monk-like life
• moirerto give a fabric a moiré finish; to impart a moiré effect; to lend a shimmering luster
• moiserbrace a timber structure with paired supporting members
• moisir(to cause) to go mouldy, to moulder; to hang around, to gather dust (informal)
• moissonnerto harvest (to reap)
• moitirmoisten; wet; become damp (rare)
• molariserdevelop the features of a molar tooth
• molesterto molest; to maul
• moleterknurl; work with a small roller or wheel
• mollarderto spit, gob (slang)
• mollifiersoften
• mollirto mollify, become soft (intransitive, rare); to ease off or die down; to relent, abate, give way (intransitive, rare)
• momifierto mummify
• monarchiserto make monarchic
• mondaniserto make worldly; to lead a worldly life
• monderto blanch (vegetables); to clean or purify
• mondialiserto globalise; become global
• mondifierappear in the becoming world (philosophy); clean
• monnayerto mint coins; to manufacture money; to make money out of, to sell, to monetize (transitive)
• monologuerto soliloquize (intransitive)
• monomériserto monomerize
• monopoliserto monopolize (have a monopoly)
• monotoniserto monotonize
• monseigneuriserto call one “my Lord” (transitive)
• montergo up; climb; take upstairs; assemble; get into or onto
• montrershow; point out
• monétariserto monetize; to express in monetary value
• monétiserto monetize (transitive)
• moquetterto carpet (transitive)
• moraliserto moralize
• morcelerto break up; to divide up (transitive)
• mordancerto mordant
• mordillerto chew (to crush food with teeth prior to swallowing)
• mordorergive a golden-brown colour to
• mordoriserbecome brownish-gold
• mordrebite; take the bait; encroach
• morflerto pay, to be in for it (intransitive, slang)
• morfondreto mope around (wander or linger aimlessly) (reflexive); to depress, bore (dated, transitive); to cool (dated, transitive)
• morguerto examine for identification; to examine corpses; to provoke or challenge
• morigénerto chide (archaic)
• morphologiserto give a morphological character to
• mortaisercut a mortise
• mortifierto mortify, humiliate
• motionnerto propose
• motiverto motivate; to justify
• motoriserto motorize (to provide with a motor or motors)
• motteragglomerate into clumps; hide behind earth clods
• moucharderto rat; to rat on; to tell tales
• moucherto blow (someone's) nose (transitive); to put someone in their place (informal, transitive); to blow one's nose (reflexive); to snuff out (a candle etc.) (transitive)
• moucheronnercatch small insects (of a bird or fish)
• moucheterto fleck
• moudreto grind
• moufeterto protest
• moufterto protest, complain (informal, intransitive)
• mouillasserto rain on and off, to drizzle, to sprinkle (regional)
• mouillerto make wet, get wet, dampen, moisten (transitive); to water (down) (transitive); to cast, drop (anchor) (transitive); to palatalize (transitive)
• moulerto mold, mould; to fit tightly (clothes); to grind, mill
• moulinerto mill (all senses) (transitive); to grind (transitive)
• moulurerform mouldings or a shaped profile
• mourirdie
• mousserto foam (produce foam); to promote, highlight, increase the popularity of
• moutonnerto be flecked (with white horses, white caps); to foam, froth; (of hills) to roll (literary); to be flecked with fleecy clouds; to denounce (slang)
• mouvementerto activate, to use, to impact (an item, an account) (transitive)
• mouvoirto move (literary, transitive); to go around, to move about (literary, reflexive)
• moyennerto calculate the mean; to obtain (obsolete)
• muerto moult (molt), to slough (sluff) (to shed or lose a covering of hair or fur, feathers, etc.) (intransitive); to break (to become deeper at puberty) (intransitive); to change, to mutate, to transform (intransitive)
• mugirto moo; to roar
• multigraphierprint using a multigraph
• multilatéralisermake multilateral
• multimédiatisergive a multimedia character to
• multinationalisermake multinational
• multiplexerto multiplex
• multiplierto multiply; to multiply, to increase (reflexive)
• multipolariserto make multipolar
• municipaliserto municipalize
• munirto provide, fit, equip (a person or object) (transitive); to provide oneself [with de ‘with something’], to take a supply
• murerto wall; wall off; to wall up; to lock up (put into prison)
• murmurerto murmur
• musarderto dawdle
• musclerto develop someone's muscles, to muscle up (transitive)
• muselerto muzzle (to attach a muzzle onto) (transitive); to silence (to prevent or forbid someone from speaking) (figurative, transitive)
• muserto wander about, usually aimlessly (intransitive)
• musiquerto make music
• musquerto perfume with musk
• musserto hide, to conceal (archaic, transitive); to hide (oneself) (archaic, reflexive); to squeeze through (archaic, reflexive)
• muséifierto turn into a museum; to treat as a museum piece
• muterto transfer; to mutate
• mutilerto maim (to cause permanent loss); to mutilate; to dismember (cut off a limb)
• mutualiserto pool (resources), to consolidate
• mysticiserto make mystical; to become mystical
• mystifierto mystify, fool
• mythifierto mystify (make mysterious)
• myélinisercover nerve fibers with myelin
• mâcherto chew; to begin or prepare some work (informal)
• mâchonnerto chew (transitive)
• mâchouillerto chew, chomp
• mâchurerto squash
• mâterto mast (put a mast on a watercraft)
• mâtinerto crossbreed (transitive); to mix (transitive)
• mécaniserto mechanize
• mécherfumigate a barrel with burning sulphur; insert a cotton or gauze wick into a wound (medical)
• méconnaîtreto not recognize or be unaware of (transitive); to ignore someone by pretending not to know them; Fail to treat someone in the way they deserve; not appreciate a quality, something they merit (figurative, transitive)
• mécontenterto displease, to disgruntle (transitive)
• médaillerto medal, to award a medal (to) (transitive)
• médiatiserto mediatize (all senses)
• médicaliserto medicalize
• médireto slander, to speak badly of (archaic, literary)
• médisersupport the Medes (historical); speak ill of someone
• méditerto think over, ponder, reflect on (transitive); to meditate (intransitive)
• méduserto dumbfound, stupefy (transitive)
• mégirtaw leather with alum, especially soft skins used for gloves
• mégisserto tan leather
• mégoterto be stingy, to nitpick, to skimp
• méjugerto misjudge (transitive)
• mélancoliserto become melancholic; to fall into melancholy; to make melancholic
• mélangerto mix, to mix up
• mélaniserto melanize
• mélodramatiserto melodramatize
• mémoriserto memorize (to fix in one's memory) (transitive)
• ménagerto husband, to conserve; to treat gently, treat nicely; to conserve, go easy on; to go easy, take it easy (reflexive)
• méphitiserpollute with noxious, foul-smelling vapours
• mépriserto hate, despise, scorn, disdain
• mériterdeserve; merit; be worth doing
• mésestimerto misestimate
• mésuserto misuse
• métaboliserto metabolize (transitive)
• métalliserto metallize
• métamictiserlose its crystalline network due to radioactive decay
• métamorphiserto metamorphosize
• métamorphoserto metamorphose
• métamériserdivide a body into repeated segments
• métaphoriserto transform into a metaphor
• méthaniserto produce methane from (especially by anaerobic digestion) (transitive)
• métisserto mix (transitive); to cross, crossbreed (transitive)
• métrerto meter (transitive)
• métriserto metrize
• météoriserinflate the abdomen with gas; erode or weather
• mêlermix; mingle; involve; meddle (se mêler de)
• mûrirto mature, to become mature (figurative, intransitive); to ripen, to become ripe (intransitive); to mature, to cause to be mature (transitive)
• se magnerbump, hit into (accidentally); move (reflexive, slang)
• se marrerto laugh; to be amused (reflexive, slang); to hoe (dig using a hoe)
• se moquermake fun of; mock; not care about (se moquer de)
• se mutinerto mutiny
• se mécompterto miscalculate; to misjudge; to miscount (obsolete)
• se méconduiremisbehave (se méconduire)
• se méfierto mistrust, to be wary of, to watch out for
• se méprendreto mistake [with sur] (to confuse someone for another) (reflexive); to make a mistake; to misunderstand
• se mésallierto misally; to marry beneath one's rank (reflexive)