How do you say “On the rocks” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is péricliter, which literally means “to decline towards failure”. English speakers use on the rocks to mean in serious trouble and likely to fail. Fits a failing business or relationship, though it sounds more formal than the English phrase. Register: formal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural French
péricliter
/peʁiklite/
- Literal meaning
- “to decline towards failure”
- Register
- formal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
86 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Péricliter” describes something getting into a worse state and heading towards failure. It is especially useful when talking about a struggling business.
A drink “on the rocks” is instead “avec des glaçons”. That means with ice cubes and says nothing about how well anything is going.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
After months of arguing, their marriage was on the rocks.
French
Après des mois de disputes, leur mariage périclitait.
English
With no money left to pay the rent, the business is on the rocks.
French
L'entreprise périclite : il ne reste plus d'argent pour payer le loyer.
Related expressions
- What “On the rocks” means in English
- On thin ice, In a risky situation close to trouble.
Last updated 2026-10-01