extraordinaire

adjective

ex·​traor·​di·​naire ik-ˌstrȯ(r)-də-ˈner How to pronounce extraordinaire (audio)
ek-
: extremely good or impressive : extraordinary
used following the noun it modifies
a chef extraordinaire
"Some of us get so carried away, our lives and gardens become inseparable," says plantsman extraordinaire and garden designer Michael Barclay.Sharon Cohoon et al.
Ms. Popcorn—marketing consultant, futurist, trend-spotter extraordinaire—was striking in black suede from head to toe …Suzanne Slesin
… an assistant football coach at the University of Texas and recruiter extraordinaireDouglas S. Looney

Examples of extraordinaire in a Sentence

the sort of chef extraordinaire who can whip up a fantastic meal, regardless of the ingredients on hand
Recent Examples on the Web His character was a train wreck — midlife crisis extraordinaire. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2023 Thanks to Dallas Cowboys broadcasting’s Chris Behm, videographer and producer extraordinaire, for pointing out the equipment change on the sideline. Kristi Scales, Dallas News, 11 Sep. 2023 Heather Headley as Helen Decatur Heather Headley, 48, plays the role of Helen Decatur, a no-nonsense lawyer and aunt extraordinaire to Maddie and Dana Sue’s children. Audrey Schmidt, Peoplemag, 20 July 2023 The fashion extraordinaire, who got his start as a sketch artist for Edith Head and Jean Louis in the early '60s, has quite the resume. Brittany Natale, Redbook, 14 Aug. 2023 Dolly Cohen, tooth gem extraordinaire, is a recent designer discovery of mine and adds glamour to your smile. Lynette Nylander, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2023 Pau Gasol: Big man extraordinaire who also excelled on the perimeter, NBA champion in 2009 and 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers, six-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection, led Spain to two Olympic silver medals and one bronze. Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 Which is why the famous family should be thanking their lucky stars for Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of JFK and himbo extraordinaire, who went viral earlier this week for an impromptu social media tirade about (holds breath)…. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2023 Robert Gottlieb, an editor extraordinaire who worked with writers as varied as Toni Morrison, John le Carré, Michael Crichton, Robert Caro and Bill Clinton, died Wednesday at a hospital in Manhattan. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 14 June 2023 See More

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

French

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of extraordinaire was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near extraordinaire

Cite this Entry

“Extraordinaire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extraordinaire. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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