bel esprit
Americannoun
-
beaux esprits
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bel esprit
First recorded in 1630–40; French: literally, “fine mind, wittiness”
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.
The remnants beyond the threshold were from an estate that belonged to George Bucknam Dorr, a Boston lawyer, philanthropist, trail builder, bel esprit and a founder of Acadia National Park.
From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2014
Cavalier exiles like Waller, Cowley and Hobbes had come back from the winter of their discontent in Paris, and Saint-Evremond, the typical bel esprit and critic, settled long in England.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6 "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" by Various
Those who wrote for amusement were careful to disclaim the title of bel esprit, and their works usually reached the public through accidental channels.
From The Women of the French Salons by Amelia Ruth Gere Mason
A bel esprit, who whispered "Fame," And shook my card-house to the ground.
From The Poems of Schiller — Second period by Friedrich Schiller
French etiquette and fashions came in and French phrases of convenience—such as coup de grace, bel esprit, etc.—began to appear in English prose.
From Brief History of English and American Literature by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers
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.
