bravura

1 of 2

noun

bra·​vu·​ra brə-ˈvyu̇r-ə How to pronounce bravura (audio)
brä-,
-ˈvu̇r-
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

bravura

2 of 2

adjective

1
: marked by a dazzling display of skill
a bravura performance
2
: ornate, showy
bravura prose

Examples of bravura in a Sentence

Adjective a truly bravura performance of the ballet that brought the crowd to its feet
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Hot on the heels of their bravura investment in Figs, Marina and Soraya raised more than $11 million. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 This was Jackson’s bravura show, and here’s the thing: teammates weren’t the least bit surprised. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2024 But there’s room for improv, and what can never be staged is the star bravura. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2023 Is this a bravura instance of jazz filmmaking, an unexpected formal flourish designed to catch the audience off guard? Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 Call it the diva’s memoir, an act of bravura entertainment and impossible stamina. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023 So the bravura opening sequence — a 10-minute childbirth scene that is choreographed and shot with unsentimental grace — introduces us to María (Novás), who is acting as midwife for her neighbor Carmen (Julia Gómez). Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Oct. 2023 Throughout his work, bravura and heroism are mingled with the humiliation of death and defeat. Vulture, 3 Oct. 2023 Editor’s picks Most boxing careers demand blood and bravura in equal measure, but in Manuel’s case, his identity as a fighter has required him to overcome prejudice, too. Ben Wyatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2023
Adjective
Sanders, on the other hand — in the most outrageously, satisfyingly bravura role of his career — doubles down on the stereotype. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023 Its most bravura trick is rooted less in a display of mastery than one of vulnerability. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 28 June 2023 With all due respect to the bravura world-creation of Wakanda, what is likely Carter’s single most effective achievement is so simple and casual as to seem to have come straight from a uniform-supply warehouse. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 But at least Bay gave the viewers plenty of nonpareil CGI carnage to chew on, as with a bravura third act that tears through Chicago skyscrapers like sand castles, bouncing from one colossal set piece to the next. Nick Allen, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2023 No matter how bravura the substance of his disquisitions, this act, predictably, grew tiresome. Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bravura.' 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

Noun

Italian, literally, bravery, from bravare to show off — more at bravado

Adjective

adjective derivative of bravura entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bravura was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near bravura

Cite this Entry

“Bravura.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravura. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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