à contrecœur

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from French à contrecœur, à contre-cœur, from Old French avoir a contrecuer, avoir contrecœur (“to dislike”), from à (“for, with”) + contre-cœur (“aversion, dislike”) (contre (“against”) + cœur (“heart”)); compare Old French estre contre coer a (“to be adverse to”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌæ ˌkɒn.tɹəˈkɜː/, /-ˌkɒ̃-/, /-ˈkəː/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌɑ ˌkɑn.tɹəˈkɚ/ Hyphenation: à con‧tre‧cœur === Adverb === à contrecœur (not comparable) Reluctantly, unwillingly, with disgust. ==== Alternative forms ==== à contre-coeur à contre-cœur à contrecoeur == French == === Alternative forms === à contre-cœur (traditional) === Etymology === See à, contre, and cœur for the etymologies of the individual words. The adverbial phrase derives from the phrase qui va contre le cœur, meaning “which goes against the heart”, where heart is used figuratively to mean “one’s preferences”. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /a kɔ̃.tʁə.kœʁ/ Hyphenation: à con‧tre‧cœur === Adverb === à contrecœur reluctantly; unwillingly Synonym: à son corps défendant