🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

sous la coupe de quelqu'un

Pronunciation / Transliteration: soo la koop de kel.kœ̃

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Under someone's thumb/ˌʌn.dɚ ˈsʌm.wʌnz ˈθʌm/
idiomadjective phraseCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"Il est entièrement sous la coupe de son patron."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As idiom
  1. 1

    Completely under the control, influence, or power of another person.

    "He has been under his boss's thumb for years and cannot make an independent decision."
  2. 2

    Subservient or dominated by someone else's stronger personality or authority.

    "She realized she was entirely under her partner's thumb and decided to end the relationship."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

This idiomatic expression derives from physical metaphors of control, where a person being held under a giant thumb is completely overpowered and unable to move. It dates back to the 16th century in English literature, drawing upon the image of exerting physical pressure or dominance over someone to force complete submission.

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