soufflé

1 of 2

noun

souf·​flé sü-ˈflā 

ˈsü-ˌflā

: a dish that is made from a sauce, egg yolks, beaten egg whites, and a flavoring or purée (as of seafood, fruit, or vegetables) and baked until puffed up

soufflé

2 of 2

adjective

variants or souffléed

sü-ˈflād 

ˈsü-ˌflād

: puffed up by or in cooking

Examples of soufflé in a Sentence

Noun

a serving of chocolate soufflé

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

French cuisine has given us ‘chef’, ‘souffle’, ‘a la carte’, and so on. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Besides Apfel Strudel with hazelnuts, there’s a Sacher Torte that showcases the traditional chocolate with apricot preserves and an ethereal Salzburg Nockerl vanilla souffle with blueberry compote. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

Adjective

From souffle pancakes to wagyu brisket, there are too many good eats in Fort Worth. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from soufflé, past participle of souffler to blow, puff up, from Old French sufler, from Latin sufflare, from sub- + flare to blow — more at blow

First Known Use

Noun

1813, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1824, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

soufflé

1 of 2 noun

souf·​flé sü-ˈflā 

ˈsü-ˌflā

: a delicate spongy hot dish lightened in baking by stiffly beaten egg whites

cheese soufflé

soufflé

2 of 2 adjective

variants or souffléed

-ˈflād 

-ˌflād

: puffed by or in cooking

soufflé omelet

Etymology

Noun

derived from French soufflé, past participle of souffler "to blow up, inflate"

Medical Definition

souffle

noun

souf·​fle ˈsü-fəl 

: a blowing sound heard on auscultation

the uterine souffle heard in pregnancy