chef d'oeuvre

noun

shā-ˈdœvrᵊ How to pronounce chef d'oeuvre (audio)
Definition of chef d'oeuvrenext
as in masterpiece
something (as a work of art) that is a great achievement and often its creator's greatest achievement the sculptor labored for 15 years on his chef d'oeuvre

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chef d'oeuvre
masterpiece
Noun
  • Among the top highlights was the Bugatti Destrier, a one-off, 1,578-horsepower coachbuilt masterpiece derived from the Bolide, blending outrageous performance with elegant design.
    — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The next day, thieves in Sicily managed to nab four more masterpieces.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of masterpiece
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.

Browse Nearby Words

chef
chef d'oeuvre
chefs
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chef d'oeuvre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chef%20d%27oeuvre. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All