déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü 
-ˈvᵫ
-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
Peter Biskind2
: 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
There is an early sense of deja vu about Everton’s summer window.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 June 2025
There has been a familiar sense of deja vu at the City Ground in recent weeks amid interest from Manchester City in Gibbs-White.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 6 June 2025
This was not a sense of disbelief, but one of deja vu.
—Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 4 Aug. 2024
There’s a long way to go before any real 2021 deja vu begins setting in.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Today, the rise of AI is giving me a feeling of deja vu all over again.
—Thomas H. Ruggie, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Over a decade later, those of us who remember the original challenge are now getting deja vu.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Not practicing in the spring seems like deja vu from last year.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
For those who follow both Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, Thursday’s news that MLB and ESPN were ending their relationship may have felt like deja vu.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 June 2025
There has been a familiar sense of deja vu at the City Ground in recent weeks amid interest from Manchester City in Gibbs-White.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 6 June 2025
This was not a sense of disbelief, but one of deja vu.
—Jessy Parker Humphreys, The Athletic, 4 Aug. 2024
There’s a long way to go before any real 2021 deja vu begins setting in.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
Today, the rise of AI is giving me a feeling of deja vu all over again.
—Thomas H. Ruggie, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Over a decade later, those of us who remember the original challenge are now getting deja vu.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Not practicing in the spring seems like deja vu from last year.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
For those who follow both Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, Thursday’s news that MLB and ESPN were ending their relationship may have felt like deja vu.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Déjà vu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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