flair
Americannoun
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a natural talent, aptitude, or ability; bent; knack.
a flair for rhyming.
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smartness of style, manner, etc..
Their window display has absolutely no flair at all.
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keen, intuitive perception or discernment.
We want a casting director with a real flair for finding dramatic talent.
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Hunting. scent; sense of smell.
noun
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natural ability; talent; aptitude
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instinctive discernment; perceptiveness
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stylishness or elegance; dash
to dress with flair
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rare hunting
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the scent left by quarry
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the sense of smell of a hound
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noun
Etymology
Origin of flair
First recorded before 1350–1400; Middle English, from French, Old French: “scent,” noun derivative of flairier “to reek,” ultimately from unattested Vulgar Latin flāgrāre, dissimilated variant of Latin frāgrāre; see origin at fragrant
Explanation
Use the word flair to refer to someone’s knack or natural talent for something. Someone might have a flair for throwing fantastic parties, or a flair for solving complex math problems. Something or someone with flair is flashy, catchy and full of energy. But oddly enough, flair meant "odor" when it originated in the mid 14th century. It wasn’t until 1925 that the word came to mean a distinctive talent, elegant style or dashing ability. So maybe think of someone absolutely reeking of style and panache — but in a good way.
Vocabulary lists containing flair
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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.
Ticket sales for Air Canada jets flying to Las Vegas have slipped by 33 percent, while the Edmonton-based low-cost carrier Flair has reported a 62 percent drop-off.
From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025
The win over Cody Rhodes, which came following a surprise interference from rapper Travis Scott, means Cena has overtaken Ric Flair by winning more world titles than anyone in the history of the company.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025
Hogan walked over to Sid and appeared to make a deal for the two of them to focus on getting Flair out first.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2024
You’ve snapped into a Slim Jim because Randy Savage ordered you to, or let out a “Woooo!” at a hockey game like Ric Flair.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2024
‘All right - Hair Flair it is,’ she said.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
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.
