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Synonyms

raconteur

American  
[rak-uhn-tur, ra-kawn-tœr] / ˌræk ənˈtɜr, ra kɔ̃ˈtœr /

noun

plural

raconteurs

  1. a person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly.

raconteur British  
/ ˌrækɒnˈtɜː /

noun

  1. a person skilled in telling stories

"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

Etymology

Origin of raconteur

1820–30; < French, equivalent to racont ( er ) to tell ( Old French r ( e ) - re- + aconter to tell, account ) + -eur -eur

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.

Ever the raconteur, Madonna balked: “I don’t know, how much longer can you go on doing what you’re doing? Don’t limit me.”

From Salon • Jan. 10, 2026

Mr. Man is knowledgeable and well-traveled, but as a historian he is more of a raconteur than a scholar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Only Hackman could shift like that, from raconteur to angel of death.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025

Droll in that articulate British way that never seems to break a sweat, Ullett is an expert raconteur — crisp yet colloquial.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2024

Gregarious by nature, Hall proved to be a skillful raconteur with a caustic Kiwi wit.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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.