bravura

[ bruh-vyoo r-uh, -voo r-uh; Italian brah-voo-rah ]

/ brəˈvyʊər ə, -ˈvʊər ə; Italian brɑˈvu rɑ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bravura ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bra·vu·ras, Italian bra·vu·re [brah-voo-re] /brɑˈvu rɛ/.

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

a display of daring; brilliant performance.

adjective

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

Nearby words

brave the elements, brave west winds, bravery, bravissimo, bravo, bravura, braw, brawl, brawley, brawn, brawny

Origin of bravura

1780–90; < Italian: spirit, dash. See brave, -ure

Can be confused

bravery bravado bravura

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bravura

Moran does so with fearless honesty and bravura, but admits she was wary about oversharing when she wrote How to Be a Woman.
Join Caitlin Moran’s Riotous Feminist Revolution|Lizzie Crocker|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the drama side, James Spader breaks into the Best Actor category for his bravura scenery chewing on The Blacklist.
15 Golden Globe Snubs and Surprises: No Oprah, No Jon Hamm, and More|Kevin Fallon, Marlow Stern|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He gives a bravura physical performance of the act of dying that can only have been born of extensive firsthand experience.
Indonesian Killers Brought to Justice 50 Years Too Late in ‘The Act of Killing’|Tom Sykes|July 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was a perfectly played symphony of silhouette, color, and texture—a bravura performance, an aesthetic rarity.
Milan Fall Fashion Week 2012: Raf Simons’s Last Collection at Jil Sander|Robin Givhan|February 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST

This was vintage, bravura Blair: After six hours of questioning he remained defiant, unabashed, and proud.
Blair's Gutsy Stand|Alex Massie|January 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
His characterization is strong, his style is redolent of bravura and his general atmosphere is fortissimo.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 4th 1914|Various
Peter heard her voice in one bravura after another; and for a short time he sat still listening and wondering.
Was It Right to Forgive?|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
The great vice of the present day is bravura—an attempt to do something beyond the truth.
Robert Orange|John Oliver Hobbes
A bravura and finale of light, graceful melody close the opera.
The Standard Light Operas|George Upton
At least, in Rossinis Stabat Mater, there are no bravura airs.
The Life of Rossini|Henry Sutherland Edwards

British Dictionary definitions for bravura

bravura

/ (brəˈvjʊərə, -ˈvʊərə) /

noun

a display of boldness or daring

music

brilliance of execution
(as modifier)a bravura passage

Word Origin for bravura

C18: from Italian: spirit, courage, from bravare to show off, see bravado

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