je ne sais quoi

noun

zhə-nə-ˌsā-ˈkwä 

: 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

That means there’s all the more pressure on the company to identify children with the je ne sais quoi to capture and maintain the eyes of a generation that’s always chasing its next dopamine hit. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

This final aesthetic, however, contained a certain je ne sais quoi the others were missing to some degree. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 July 2026

As its name would suggest, the Riviera Etoile bench possesses a certain je ne sais quoi. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026

Like that little je ne sais quoi of it. — Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, I know not what

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above