coup de foudre
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of coup de foudre
First recorded in 1770–80; from French: literally “bolt of lightning”
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.
Can a muralist and product designer infographic his way into telling a compelling love story, from coup de foudre to coeur brisé?
From Washington Post ● Jan. 31, 2023
Or all at once, in a coup de foudre, a lightning strike of, “Hey, this is my town!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
The artistic and emotional coup de foudre that follows dramatically disrupts Hare’s marriage.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2015
Reluctantly, he takes on the case of Vanessa: for the first time, of course, he actually falls, coup de foudre.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 26, 2010
It was all very quiet, but it was the coup de foudre.
From Tales of Men and Ghosts by Edith Wharton
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.
