déjà vu

noun

dé·​jà vu ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü  -ˈvᵫ 

1

a

: the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time

b

: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before

Despite a blond, swept-back mane all his own, Fonda looks startlingly like his father, Henry. … He even moves like his father, only dispelling the eerie feeling of déjà vu when he opens his mouth.

—Peter Biskind

2

: something overly or unpleasantly familiar

The team's poor start to the season was déjà vu for its long-suffering fans.

Examples of déjà vu in a Sentence

I entered the room and immediately felt a sense of déjà vu.

When the car broke down again, it was déjà vu.

The rise in housing costs is déjà vu all over again.

Recent Examples on the Web

For Richards, the injury was almost the worst possible kind of deja vu. — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 10 June 2026

UConn women’s basketball fans got an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu on Tuesday night when former Huskies star Azzi Fudd was ruled out of the Dallas Wings home opener against the Atlanta Dream with a right knee injury. — Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2026

Now, a sense of deja vu has emerged. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026

Season 45 returnee Emily Flippen experienced deja vu as she was once again eliminated on Day 21. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 7 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, adjective, literally, already seen

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

déjà vu

noun

dé·​jà vu ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü 

-ˈvᵫ̅

: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before

Etymology

French, literally, "already seen"

Medical Definition

déjà vu

noun

dé·​jà vu ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈv(y)ü, dā-zhȧ-vᵫ̅ 

: paramnesia sense b