1
: crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings
an example of classic noir
2
: film noir
a comedy dressed in the trappings of an edgy noir
: having a bleak and darkly cynical quality of the kind associated with hard-boiled crime fiction and film noir
a noir thriller
In this boldly styled first novel, Komarnicki follows a 30-year-old homeless man on a noir odyssey of death and survival through the streets of New Orleans and Hong Kong.—
Sybil S. Steinberg
Sybil S. SteinbergThe plot of this violent fairy tale is as noir and nasty as the characters.—Marilyn Stasio
Marilyn StasioExamples of noir in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026
On Thursday, Apple TV released the first trailer for Season 2 of the Mark Protosevich neo-noir mystery, which sees John Sugar (Farrell) investigating the disappearance of an up-and-coming local boxer’s older brother, while continuing the search for his own missing sister.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Amatullo also was a line producer on Above Suspicion (1995), starring Christopher Reeve and Joe Mantegna, and an executive producer on the John Herzfeld neo-noir 2 Days in the Valley (1996) and on the Reelz reality series Beverly Hills Pawn in 2013-14.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for noir
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.
Noun
Lies, lust and Italian lira are abound in this Disney+ exclusive Simpsons noir.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026
On Thursday, Apple TV released the first trailer for Season 2 of the Mark Protosevich neo-noir mystery, which sees John Sugar (Farrell) investigating the disappearance of an up-and-coming local boxer’s older brother, while continuing the search for his own missing sister.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Adjective
De Niro and Foster both earned Oscar nominations for their roles in the neo-noir film.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Amatullo also was a line producer on Above Suspicion (1995), starring Christopher Reeve and Joe Mantegna, and an executive producer on the John Herzfeld neo-noir 2 Days in the Valley (1996) and on the Reelz reality series Beverly Hills Pawn in 2013-14.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for noir
Cite this Entry
“Noir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noir. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
