How do you say “In the doghouse” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is ne pas être en odeur de sainteté auprès de quelqu'un, which literally means “not to be in the scent of holiness with someone”. English speakers use in the doghouse to mean in trouble with someone because you have upset them. A French idiom for being out of favour. It is more elaborate than the English and can sound wry. Register: informal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural French
ne pas être en odeur de sainteté auprès de quelqu'un
/nə pa ɛtʁ ɑ̃n ɔdœʁ də sɛ̃tɛte opʁɛ də kɛlkœ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “not to be in the scent of holiness with someone”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
The phrase means that someone is not looking kindly on you. It suits disapproval from a relative, a coach or a manager.
Use the negative form for this meaning. In a quick everyday exchange, saying the person is angry with you is simpler.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I am in the doghouse with my sister after forgetting to collect her.
French
Je ne suis pas en odeur de sainteté auprès de ma sœur depuis que j'ai oublié de venir la chercher.
English
He is still in the doghouse with the coach for missing practice.
French
Il n'est toujours pas en odeur de sainteté auprès de l'entraîneur pour avoir manqué l'entraînement.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01