2 syllables: Hors De Com, bat. Stress on Hors De Com.
hawrz-duh-KAHM-bat
/ˈhɔɹz ˈdə ˈkɑːm.bæt/
Hors De Combat is pronounced hawrz-duh-KAHM-bat (/ˈhɔɹz ˈdə ˈkɑːm.bæt/). It has two syllables (Hors De Com-bat), with the stress on "Hors De Com". Hors de combat is a French-origin adjective meaning temporarily out of action or unable to continue combat. It describes a person who is incapacitated or withdrawn from fighting, typically due to injury or surrender. In broader usage, it can refer to someone unable to participate in any activity due to circumstance, not limited to war. The term is commonly found in military, historical, or formal contexts and retains an understated, somewhat archaic tone.
adjectiveHors de combat is a French-origin adjective meaning temporarily out of action or unable to continue combat. It describes a person who is incapacitated or withdrawn from fighting, typically due to injury or surrender. In broader usage, it can refer to someone unable to participate in any activity due to circumstance, not limited to war. The term is commonly found in military, historical, or formal contexts and retains an understated, somewhat archaic tone.
"The officer was hors de combat after the skirmish, unable to return fire."
"The officer declared the enemy hors de combat, signaling surrender."
"Despite the rally, several soldiers were hors de combat and evacuated."
Pronounce as /ˈɔːr də kɒmˈbæt/ in American English, roughly rhyming with “or-” + “duh” + “combat.” Stress falls on the second syllable of combat: com-BAT. In careful speech, the de is reduced: hors de → /də/ or /dɚ/. In UK/US, keep the final syllable crisp with a clear /æ/ in combat’s final vowel. For practice, say: ors duh kohm-BAT, with a light ‘r’ and a short, clipped de.
Common errors include: 1) flattening the de into a quick ‘duh’ without nucleus; 2) misplacing stress, often stressing ‘hors’ or ‘de’ instead of ‘combat’; 3) mispronouncing the final ‘combat’ as ‘com-bate’ instead of /ˈkɒmˌbæt/. Correction tips: say hors as /ɔːr/ with a lightly r-colored vowel, emphasize the second syllable of combat (com-BAT), and keep de silent between words: hors de combat → /ˈɔːr də ˈkɒmˌbæt/ with a tight link between de and combat.
US English tends to reduce de to /də/ and deliver a clear /ˈɔːr də ˈkɒmˌbæt/. UK English often maintains a crisper /ˈɔː(r)/ with less rhotic coloring in hors, and may compress the final syllable toward /ˈkɒm.bæt/; AU tends to broader vowels in /ɔː/ and a more clipped de, with a slightly flattened final /t/. Across all, the vowel in combat is short and open; rhoticity mainly affects hors. IPA references: US /ˈɔːr də ˈkɒmˌbæt/, UK /ˈɔː(r) də ˈkɒmˌbat/, AU /ˈɔː(r) də ˈkɒmˌbæt/.
The difficulties lie in the French-derived multiword structure, the subtle liaison between de and combat, and the final consonant cluster in 'combat' that demands a crisp /t/. Non-native speakers often misplace stress between hors, de, and combat or insert extra vowel sounds. Focus on maintaining a short, reduced middle syllable (de) and a strong, clipped final syllable (-bat). Practice with slow, exaggerated enunciation, then gradually normalize tempo while keeping the final /t/ audible.
In English usage, stress commonly falls on the first or second word’s main content beat: hors de COMbat, but most careful pronunciation treats combat as the focal point: hors de com-BAT. The phrase has a tri-syllabic rhythm with primary stress on the last content word, ‘combat.’ For clarity, rehearse: /ˈɔːr də ˈkɒmˌbæt/ with a clear, crisp final /t/. IPA helps lock the rhythm, and practice with a voice recorder to verify the cadence.
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Hors de combat comes from French, literally translating to 'outside of combat.' The phrase is composed of hors (outside/off) and de (of/from) plus combat (combat). The term originated within French military usage and was borrowed into English in the late 19th to early 20th century, often appearing in formal or literary contexts, especially in discussions of war, chivalry, or diplomacy. It conveys a status akin to ‘out of the fight,’ but not necessarily dead or captured, simply incapacitated or withdrawn. Over time, its use broadened beyond strictly battlefield contexts to describe anyone momentarily unable to participate in an activity. In contemporary usage, the phrase can carry a refined or historical connotation, frequently found in journalism, literature, or formal rhetoric. First known usages appear in French military doctrine and prose, with English texts adopting it to denote a defeated or neutralized combatant, often with nuance of mercy or surrender. The phrase remains relatively fixed in its placement as a prepositional phrase or adjective in French and English integration, emphasizing temporary incapacity rather than permanent defeat.
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Words that rhyme with "Hors De Combat"
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