-esque

American

an adjective suffix indicating style, manner, resemblance, or distinctive character.

arabesque; Romanesque; picturesque.

-esque British

suffix

indicating a specified character, manner, style, or resemblance

picturesque
Romanesque
statuesque
Chaplinesque

"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 -esque

< French < Italian -esco ≪ Germanic; see -ish ¹

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:

-esque

While often the source of Dan Brown -esque conspiracies, it functions much as any national or private archive: Researchers request permission to visit and then request specific documents to review in dedicated reading rooms.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2024

Caruso is known for his Disney -esque shopping centers with trolleys and green lawns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2018

The adjectivally ennobled: the ones whose names sprout "-esque" and "-ian".

From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023