vinaigrer

Senses

1. 1.

   to season with vinegar

   to add vinegar to a dish or ingredient

2. 2.

   to turn into vinegar

   to convert wine or other liquid into vinegar through fermentation

3. 3.

   to sour or embitter

   to make something unpleasant or bitter in a figurative sense

Examples

• "Il faut vinaigrer la salade pour la rendre plus savoureuse."

  You must season the salad with vinegar to make it more flavorful.

• "Le vin blanc a commencé à vinaigrer après quelques semaines."

  The white wine began to turn into vinegar after a few weeks.

• "Sa mauvaise humeur a vinaigré l'atmosphère de la réunion."

  His bad mood soured the atmosphere of the meeting.

Usage

Vinaigrer is a regular first-group verb derived from vinaigre (vinegar). It is most commonly used in culinary contexts to mean seasoning with vinegar, though it can also express figurative sourness or deterioration. The verb is not frequently used in everyday speech compared to simpler constructions like ajouter du vinaigre (to add vinegar).