écarteler

Senses

1. 1.

   to quarter; to tear limb from limb

   to execute by tying limbs to horses and pulling in different directions

2. 2.

   to spread apart; to stretch wide

   to pull or hold something apart or in opposite directions

3. 3.

   to tear in different directions; to pull apart

   to subject to opposing forces or demands

4. 4.

   to torment; to distress

   to cause acute emotional or mental anguish

Examples

• "Les traîtres étaient écartélés publiquement au Moyen Âge."

  Traitors were publicly quartered in the Middle Ages.

• "Elle se sentait écartélée entre son devoir et ses désirs personnels."

  She felt torn between her duty and her personal desires.

• "Les branches de l'arbre s'écartèlent sous le poids de la neige."

  The branches of the tree are being pulled apart under the weight of the snow.

Usage

A somewhat formal or literary verb. The literal sense (historical execution method) is now historical; the figurative senses-being torn by conflicting pressures or emotions-are much more common in modern usage. Often used in the passive voice or reflexive form (se sentir écartélé).