double entendre

noun

dou·​ble en·​ten·​dre ˈdə-bəl-än-ˈtänd(-rə)  ˈdüb-ᵊl-äⁿ-ˈtäⁿd(rᵊ) 

plural double entendres ˈdə-bəl-än-ˈtänd(-rə)  ˈdüb-ᵊl-äⁿ-ˈtäⁿd(rᵊ)(z) 

 also  ˈdüb-ᵊl-äⁿ-ˈtäⁿz;

ˈdə-bəl-än-ˈtän-drəz

1

linguistics : a word or expression capable of two interpretations with one usually risqué

flirty talk full of double entendres

2

literature : ambiguity of meaning arising from language that lends itself to more than one interpretation

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What is the Difference Between a double entendre and a pun?

The words double entendre and pun are both about double meanings. Double entendre, in fact, originated in an obsolete expression in French, which means “double meaning.” The origins of pun are less certain, but it likely traces to the Italian word puntiglio meaning “fine point, quibble.” In English, double entendre refers to a double meaning in which one meaning is usually shocking or risqué in its sexual suggestiveness. Pun usually has more to do with silly or humorous double meanings than with anything sexually suggestive or lewd.

Examples of double entendre in a Sentence

The song's title is a double entendre.

Recent Examples on the Web

In this delightfully campy madcap comedy, Elvira heads to small-town Massachusetts to receive an inheritance from her dead aunt, only to find out that the villagers aren’t fans of her cleavage, nor of her penchant for double entendre. —Samantha Allen, Them, 15 Oct. 2024

And yet…the rhyme schemes, the reduplication, the semantic shifts, the conversions, the deliberate grammatical oddities, and rich double entendres–Carpenter is, for some people, the greatest poet to have ever put pen to paper. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024

The art of the exchange — be it through characters sharing double entendres or entire theaters getting caught up in call-and-response — is characteristic of film noir, midnight movies, and, yes, sing-a-longs. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 July 2024

Israel Boyd: Well, the title Metamorphosis Complete is a little bit of a double entendre. —Vrinda Jagota, SPIN, 1 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French, literally, double meaning

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 2