bravura

American  

[bruh-vyoor-uh, -voor-uh, brah-voo-rah] / brəˈvjʊər ə, -ˈvʊər ə, brɑˈvu rɑ /

noun

• bravuras,
  plural
• bravure
  plural

1. Music. a florid passage or piece requiring great skill and spirit in the performer.

2. a display of daring; brilliant performance.

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adjective

1. Music. spirited; florid; brilliant (applied chiefly to vocal but occasionally to instrumental compositions).

bravura British  

/ brəˈvjʊərə, -ˈvʊərə /

noun

1. a display of boldness or daring

2. music

   1. brilliance of execution

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bravura passage

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bravuras
  plural
• bravure
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bravura

First recorded in 1780–90; from Italian: literally, “spirit, dash”; see brave, -ure

Explanation

When a dancer spins flawlessly through an incredibly challenging routine, their performance is pure bravura, showcasing dazzling skill and bold confidence. Bravura is a noun that refers to a show of exceptional talent or daring, often in the arts. The term comes from Italian, meaning "bravery" or "spirit." It's commonly used to describe performances in music, theater, or dance that are not only technically impressive but also delivered with extraordinary confidence and style. Bravura can also apply to any act or feat that is executed with exceptional skill and daring, making it a celebration of human talent and boldness.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bravura bravuras

It's a bravura performance that showcases her facility with melody and arrangement - and she essentially recreates it live on stage at the O2.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

A mere 64 years after their debut, The Rolling Stones make their bravura return with “Foreign Tongues,” their 25th studio album.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

But his bravura weakened as the conversation continued, and he spoke of his lost dream of being a surgeon, thwarted because his family could not afford school fees.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Had Brontë survived past 30, she might have worked yet-greater literary marvels, but as it is she left us with “Wuthering Heights,” a bravura work of melodrama published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

On August 13, at an S-l meeting on his home turf in Berkeley, Ernest delivered another bravura presentation on the Rad Lab’s progress.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Now go and play and sing something; and mind, I don’t want my ears deafened with fireworks, and the drums split with parrot-shriek bravuras.

From Friends I Have Made by George Manville Fenn

For the Dinkey-Bird's bravuras And staccatos are so sweet— His roulades, appogiaturas, And robustos so complete, That the youth of every nation— Be they near or far away— Have especial delectation In that gladsome roundelay.

From The Book of Humorous Verse by Carolyn Wells

I have never tried bravuras since I left off masters, and even then I only attempted them under protest.

From Sword and Gown A Novel by George A. (George Alfred) Lawrence

Those simple airs were more congenial to the depressed spirits of the whole assemblage than the most showy bravuras; and, sung by those handsome creatures—for beauty adds a charm to everything—retained me spell-bound.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 54, No. 334, August 1843 by Various

Were not the churches there—Notre Dame de Paris, to name but one—just as much to be execrated for sacrilegious bravuras as Notre Dame de Chartres?

From The Cathedral by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans

Related Words

• audacity
• bravery
• daring
• determination
• endurance
• fearlessness
• firmness
• fortitude
• gallantry
• grit
• heroism
• prowess
• spirit
• spunk
• tenacity
• valor