View synonyms for enfant terrible

enfant terrible

[ ahn-fahn te-ree-bluh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, French.

, plural en·fants ter·ri·bles [ah, n, -fah, n, te-, ree, -bl, uh].

an incorrigible child, as one whose behavior is embarrassing.
an outrageously outspoken or bold person who says and does indiscreet or irresponsible things.
a person whose work, thought, or lifestyle is so unconventional or avant-garde as to appear revolutionary or shocking.

enfant terrible

/ ɑ̃fɑ̃ tɛriblə /

enfant terrible

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.”

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

C19: literally: terrible child

But what happens when the enfant terrible has enfants of her own?

At 39, he is no longer young enough to be an enfant terrible, but people still peg him as a kid too cool to grow up.

Wedekind, who to the mtier of the artist joins that of the enfant terrible, strains in this play every nerve to shock.

I'm afraid we have got an enfant terrible among us, though I can't complain of my share of the compliments.

Then there was Bobby, the little brother, an enfant terrible and a perfect little duck.

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

Jerry arrived at nine, full of thanks to her, and carried the enfant terrible off to her school.

April 20, 2024flabbergast

[flab-er-gast ]

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