sobriquet
Americannoun
-
sobriquets
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sobriquet
First recorded in 1640–50; origin uncertain; from French Middle French soubriquet “nickname, surname,” formerly also “a jest,” from Old French soubriquet, soubzbriquet “a gentle tap under the chin, a chuck under the chin”
Explanation
If people start calling you "Mac" because you like to eat macaroni and cheese for every meal, then you not only have a strange diet, but you also have a sobriquet — in other words, a nickname. Sobriquet is derived from the French word soubriquet. Sobriquets are often but not always humorous, so in order to pronounce this word, you might want to remember that the last syllable rhymes with play. Sobriquets are usually given to you by other people, but you can choose one for yourself if you want. If your name is Jennifer and you tend to introduce yourself as Jen, this also qualifies as a sobriquet.
Vocabulary lists containing sobriquet
Freak the Mighty
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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The Fault in Our Stars
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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.
See Examples For:
“Anthony the Turk” sounds like the sobriquet of a scoundrel in a Mafia movie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
And though Slater earned the sobriquet “Slater the Traitor” back home, he never returned to Britain to face the consequences.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
While extolled by supporters as Venezuela’s “dama de hierro” — the iron lady, a sobriquet bestowed decades ago on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — Machado is a controversial figure, even within the Venezuelan opposition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2025
The bird, in an inevitable shorthand created by the press, was given the sobriquet "Goldie", as he became headline news.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2025
He had nicknamed a particularly tyrannical, humorless, and rosy steward “Pink Whiskers,” a sobriquet that was soon used by all the jockeys.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Both sobriquets stem from Ludwig’s penchant for building gargantuan displays of excess at a clip that placed him in massive debt.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025
That has earned him the sobriquets “Xi’s alter ego” and “Xi’s chief of staff.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2022
According to the New York Times, “Ashe’s story certainly has moments of great drama and high tension, but, as a sports figure, he inspired decidedly undramatic sobriquets like ‘the gentle warrior.’
From Washington Post ● Mar. 2, 2022
But this week, as a punishing heat wave bears down on Portland and much of western Oregon, Portlanders have given their town such nicknames as “Hotlandia,” along with less polite sobriquets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2017
He answered to whatever names and sobriquets they gave him.
From The Quest by Isaac Goldberg
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.
