maux

Maux is a French noun meaning harm, pain, or illness. It is the plural of mal and is used to refer to multiple troubles or ailments. In medical and everyday language, maux often appear in phrases describing specific pains, such as maux de tête (headaches), maux de ventre (stomach pains), or other physical discomforts. The term can also be used more broadly to denote social or moral harms, such as les maux de la société (ills of society) or les maux de l’âme (sufferings of the soul).

Etymology and usage notes: The word derives from Latin malum and entered French through Old French mal. The plural is formed with -x, yielding maux. The gender is masculine, so un mal and les maux. In some contexts, the singular mal is more common for a single pain, while maux emphasizes a group or a more general notion of harm.

Usage and nuance: Maux is often used in both literal medical contexts and figurative or rhetorical language. It can describe physical afflictions as well as abstract or social problems, for example les maux économiques, les maux de vieillesse, or les maux du quotidien. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer mal in fixed expressions like un mal de dos or un mal de tête, with maux serving when talking about multiple or systemic harms.

See also: mal, maladie, douleur, malheur.