Published April 12, 2025 • Updated July 25, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Bouffer — Meaning and Pronunciation
Bouffer is a French slang verb meaning “to eat” or “to gobble up.” It’s a very informal alternative to manger (to eat) and is commonly used in casual conversation. Depending on context, bouffer can also mean “to consume,” “to use up,” or “to eat away at,” as in bouffer tout son argent (to blow all one’s money).
The IPA pronunciation of bouffer is /bu.fe/, which sounds approximately like “boo-fay”.
Example Sentences
Tu bouffes comme un porc, toi ! Arrête de manger si vite !
You’re eating like a pig! Stop eating so fast!
Désolé, les gars. Je viens de bouffer toute la pizza !
Sorry, guys. I just ate all the pizza!
See also:
👉 Goinfre (Glutton, overeater) »
👉 Gourmand (Glutton, food lover) »
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Related words and expressions
Synonyms
manger — to eat
grailler — to eat, to chow down
becqueter — to eat, to munch
casser la croûte — to grab a bite to eat
Near-synonyms
dévorer — to devour
engloutir — to wolf down
avaler — to swallow, gulp down
grignoter — to snack, nibble
Expressions
bouffer comme quatre — to eat like a horse
bouffer sur le pouce — to grab a quick bite
bouffer quelqu’un des yeux — to devour someone with one’s eyes
se bouffer le nez — to argue, to be at each other’s throats
bouffer tout son argent — to blow all one’s money
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