enfant terrible

[ ahn-fahnte-ree-bluh ]
See synonyms for enfant terrible on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural en·fants ter·ri·bles [ahn-fahnte-ree-bluh]. /ɑ̃ fɑ̃ tɛˈri blə/. French.
  1. an incorrigible child, as one whose behavior is embarrassing.

  2. an outrageously outspoken or bold person who says and does indiscreet or irresponsible things.

  1. a person whose work, thought, or lifestyle is so unconventional or avant-garde as to appear revolutionary or shocking.

Origin of enfant terrible

1
First recorded in 1850–55; literally, “terrible child”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use enfant terrible in a sentence

  • Silently rebuking myself as an enfant terrible, I refused to answer further questions.

    Autobiography of a YOGI | Paramhansa Yogananda
  • Jerry arrived at nine, full of thanks to her, and carried the enfant terrible off to her school.

    Cinderella Jane | Marjorie Benton Cooke

British Dictionary definitions for enfant terrible

enfant terrible

/ French (ɑ̃fɑ̃ tɛriblə) /


nounplural enfants terribles (ɑ̃fɑ̃ tɛriblə)
  1. a person given to unconventional conduct or indiscreet remarks

Origin of enfant terrible

1
C19: literally: terrible child

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for enfant terrible

enfant terrible

[ (ahn-fahn te-ree-bluh) ]


A person who stirs things up in an irresponsible or indiscreet way or has unconventional ideas: “Doctor Hill keeps writing articles that criticize his fellow physicians; he is becoming known as the enfant terrible of his profession.” From French, meaning “terrible child.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.