Meaning & use
louche
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Of doubtful reputation or loose morals, yet in a way that seems stylish, charming or intriguing.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be or seem: a louche bar, the place seemed louche.
Patterns
- a louche person
- a louche place
The old hotel had a louche charm, with velvet sofas and a bartender who never asked questions.
He had a louche reputation but was great company.
The film is set in the louche nightclubs of 1930s Berlin.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Sleazy or shady in a way that is more off-putting than appealing.
Grammar: Used to describe a suspicious person or place; tone is critical.
Patterns
- louche behavior
I avoided the louche characters hanging around the arcade.
There was something louche about the way the dealer smiled.
Word forms
| comparative | more louche |
|---|---|
| superlative | most louche |
Common combinations
- a louche reputation
- The club had a louche reputation but a loyal crowd.
- louche charm
- The actor played the villain with a louche charm.
- louche behavior
- Louche behavior at the party made headlines.
- louche character
- The novel features a louche character who lives off his friends.
- slightly louche
- The bar was slightly louche but friendly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disreputable
- Disreputable simply says someone has a bad name, with none of the glamour louche can carry.
- seedy
- Seedy suggests shabby and run-down as well as dubious, while louche can be elegant.
- sleazy
- Sleazy is more openly negative and unpleasant, with no hint of attraction.
- decadent
- Decadent stresses indulgent luxury and moral decline, whereas louche stresses a dubious yet appealing style.
Opposites
Word family
- louchely adverb
- in a louche manner
- loucheness noun
- the quality of being louche
Commonly confused: louche or loose? louche or lush?
louche vs loose
Loose is an ordinary English word meaning not tight, while louche is a French borrowing that suggests dubious morals, though the two are sometimes mixed up in speech.
louche vs lush
Lush means rich and abundant, or a heavy drinker in slang. It has no sense of dubious reputation.
Practice
The jazz club had a rather ___ atmosphere, full of dim lights and people with questionable pasts.
Choose one answer.
Louche suits a place that is dubious but intriguing. Wholesome, spotless and earnest all suggest respectable or clean, which the setting contradicts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “louche”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.