repoussoir
French → English
(metaphor) Foil: a person or thing that highlights the qualities of another by contrast or by being unappealing.
Il a utilisé ce projet mal conçu comme repoussoir pour faire briller sa propre proposition.
(English) He used that poorly designed project as a foil to make his own proposal shine.
Dans ce film, le méchant sert de repoussoir pour souligner la vertu et l'héroïsme du protagoniste.
(English) In this film, the villain serves as a foil to highlight the virtue and heroism of the protagonist.
(art) Foreground element: an object in the front of a painting used to create depth or distance.
Le peintre a placé un grand arbre sombre au premier plan comme repoussoir pour accentuer la lumière du fond.
(English) The painter placed a large dark tree in the foreground as a contrast element to accentuate the background light.
Ce rocher sur la gauche sert de repoussoir et guide l'œil vers l'horizon de la marine.
(English) That rock on the left serves as a foreground contrast and guides the eye toward the horizon of the seascape.
Entry ID: fr:en:repoussoir · Source: refined · Type: vocabulary