bravura

noun bra·vu·ra \ brə-ˈvyu̇r-ə , brä- , -ˈvu̇r- \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of bravura

1 music : a musical passage requiring exceptional agility and technical skill in execution

2 : a florid brilliant style

3 : a show of daring or brilliance

See bravura defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of bravura from the Web

Finally, the whole city seems to crescendo in shell-shocking sounds that had many players in the orchestra reaching for their earplugs while producing a bravura performance.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Salonen's 'Pollux' supplies some grunge for L.A. Phil tour," 16 Apr. 2018
Everything seems to have been accomplished with bravura speed and apparent spontaneity.

— willard spiegelman, WSJ, "Beauty in Full Bloom," 13 Apr. 2018
The director Kantemir Balagov crams his frame with people — a celebratory dinner is a bravura example of his use of cinematic space — a choice that captures the existential push and pull of identity.

— manohla dargis and a.o. scott, New York Times, "11 Movies You Need to Know at New Directors/New Films," 27 Mar. 2018
The sculptors Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux and Jules Dalou brought his bravura talents to portrait busts of British aristocrats, while Monet reveled in the foggy light over the Thames and the Houses of Parliament.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "From Buckingham Palace to the National Theatre, Hamish Bowles Takes London by Storm," 23 Feb. 2018
Smith writes a bravura monologue, a virtuosic act of ventriloquism.

— hermione hoby, New Republic, "Zadie Smith’s Book of Essays Explores What It Means to Be Human," 20 Feb. 2018
What makes the actor stand out, though, in a film stacked with bravura performances (including Margot Robbie and the Golden Globe-winning Allison Janney) is his ability to turn Eckardt into something more than a caricature.

— dante a. ciampaglia, Newsweek, "Who Is Shawn Eckardt? Paul Walter Hauser Steals Every Scene as Harding’s Bodyguard in ‘I, Tonya’," 17 Jan. 2018
Andee Reed and Becki Davis tackle the two bravura performances as Clairee and Ouiser, playing off one another with thrusts and parries that never miss a mark.

— theodore p. mahne, NOLA.com, "Rivertown's 'Steel Magnolias' successfully draws laughter amid tears," 10 June 2017
Under the direction of Elaina Di Monaco, Barrymore winner Walton is giving a bravura, physically expressive performance as Lisa in this idiosyncratic, discursive memory play.

— julia m. klein, Philly.com, "Elegant, persuasive '2.5 Minute Ride' at Theatre Horizon," 12 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bravura.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.