je ne sais quoi

noun

: something (such as an appealing quality) that cannot be adequately described or expressed
a young actress who has a certain je ne sais quoi

Examples of je ne sais quoi in a Sentence

Although the sculpture had flaws, it also had a certain je ne sais quoi that made it very appealing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That je ne sais quoi is all in the Salted Caramel Buttercream, honey. Staff Author, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025 If a deviation from brand guidelines adds quality, depth or a certain je ne sais quoi, then why not? Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Elevated flip-flops, like The Row’s Dune Sandals (#1 on the Lyst Index list this quarter) are just as solid of a footwear pick here, granting the short a kind of beachy je ne sais quoi. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 July 2025 Among the world’s glitterati, owning sports cars with such je ne sais quoi soon became the status quo. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for je ne sais quoi

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, I know not what

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of je ne sais quoi was circa 1656

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Cite this Entry

“Je ne sais quoi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/je%20ne%20sais%20quoi. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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