flashed his … smile and waved with the panache of a big-city mayor—Joe Morgenstern
Illustration of panache
panache 1
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Few literary characters can match the panache of French poet and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac, from Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play of the same name. In his dying moments, Cyrano declares that the one thing left to him is his panache, and that assertion at once demonstrates the meaning of the word and draws upon its history. In both French and English, panache (which traces back to Late Latin pinnaculum, “small wing”) originally referred to a showy, feathery plume on a hat or helmet; our familiar figurative sense debuted in the first English translation of Rostand’s play, which made the literal plume a metaphor for Cyrano’s unflagging verve even in death. In a 1903 speech Rostand himself described panache: “A little frivolous perhaps, most certainly a little theatrical, panache is nothing but a grace which is so difficult to retain in the face of death, a grace which demands so much strength that, all the same, it is a grace … which I wish for all of us.”
Examples of panache in a Sentence
She played the role of hostess with great panache.
Recent Examples on the WebLocated less than an hour from the city by train, Disneyland Paris pairs up the quintessential magic of the North American parks with a touch of French panache.—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 5 June 2024 Temple to vegan cuisine is once:once, where Asian and Mexican fusion are strong on the menu in the patio garden as is panache and conscience.—Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024 In Minghella’s 1999 adaptation, he was played with supernatural panache by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who knew better than anyone how to take a supporting role and create something unforgettable.—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024 For all of its panache, the Kirkland remains a small institution.—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 20 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for panache
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panache.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle French pennache, from Old Italian pennacchio, from Late Latin pinnaculum small wing — more at pinnacle
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