trompe l'oeil
Americannoun
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visual deception, especially in paintings, in which objects are rendered in extremely fine detail emphasizing the illusion of tactile and spatial qualities.
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a painting, mural, or panel of wallpaper designed to create such an effect.
noun
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a painting or decoration giving a convincing illusion of reality
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an effect of this kind
Etymology
Origin of trompe l'oeil
1895–1900; < French: literally, (it) fools the eye
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Labyrinth” is fortified with trompe l’oeil wonders, but none are as powerful as a dream sequence resulting from Sarah lapsing into a hallucination after she bites into an enchanted peach.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026
In contrast, David renders with trompe l’oeil precision the wood grain of the cheap crate that Marat was using as a table beside his tub.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
I may sound cynical, but I couldn’t help but balk at that sense of trompe l’oeil profundity, beautifully rendered but fundamentally unchallenging.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024
One Street Grandma piece, inspired by a vintage Champion tee from the 1970s, features a trompe l’oeil image of blue overalls over a capacious, heavyweight, white cotton tee.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023
He was awake, lying spread-eagle in his big platform bed, looking up at the trompe l’oeil painting of a domed and gilded ceiling that was open at the center to a pink sky.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
