What does “sacrément” mean in French?

Sacrément is a punchy way to say “very”: c’est sacrément romantique is “that’s seriously romantic” or “that’s damn romantic.” It comes from sacré (“sacred”), which in everyday French has slid into a mild exclamation of its own. The religious root is still faintly heard, so it sounds stronger than très but stays far from vulgar. You can use it with friends, colleagues or family.

The adjective works the same way when it comes before a noun: un sacré bazar (“one hell of a mess”), une sacrée surprise (“quite a surprise”), il a un sacré caractère (“he’s got some temper”). Placed after the noun it goes back to its literal meaning: un lieu sacré is a sacred place. In the clip, a man paints a proposal across the road for his girlfriend’s morning commute, and a bystander tells the police, Avouez que c’est sacrément romantique.