How do you say “Not have a leg to stand on” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is ne pas avoir de preuves, which literally means “not to have evidence”. English speakers use not have a leg to stand on to mean to have no sound argument or evidence to support your position. Fits a claim that lacks evidence. It is narrower than the English, which can also mean having no good argument. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
ne pas avoir de preuves
/nə pa avwaʁ də pʁœv/
- Literal meaning
- “not to have evidence”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
84 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
This direct wording works when documents, a recording or another kind of proof are missing. French does not need the leg image.
If the problem is a weak argument rather than missing proof, say “ne pas avoir d’argument solide”. That means having no sound argument.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
ne pas avoir d'argument solide
Literally: “not to have a solid argument”
For a position that cannot be defended, even when some facts are available.
In context
English
The video showed me crossing the line, so I did not have a leg to stand on.
French
La vidéo me montrait en train de franchir la ligne ; je n'avais donc aucun argument solide.
English
Without any records of the repairs, he did not have a leg to stand on.
French
Sans aucun document sur les réparations, il n'avait pas de preuves.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01