chef-d'oeuvre
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of chef-d'oeuvre
Borrowed into English from French around 1610–20
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:
Thirty-five years after "Die Hard" hit theaters, the Bruce Willis vehicle maintains its rep as a chef-d'oeuvre due to its perennial relevance.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2023
Frears’ chef-d’oeuvre has everything: accessibly rooted in a true story, it has a powerful but controlled display of emotions, is tempered with poignancy and wit, and has great performances from stars and supporting cast.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 16, 2020
UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance is presenting Mac's chef-d'oeuvre, "A 24-Decade History of Popular Music," in a four-show series at the Theatre at Ace Hotel beginning Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2018
Still, I couldn’t help thinking that I’d already attended this party, the centerpiece of Bard SummerScape’s callow adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s “Master and Margarita,” the chef-d’oeuvre of Russian literature from the age of Stalin.
From New York Times ● Jul. 19, 2013
“Now you look lovely,” said Zooloo—with her eyes—stepping back and surveying her as a painter might his chef-d’oeuvre.
From The Pirate City An Algerine Tale by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
"Oh, you're going to be so impressed with me," he coos as he peers at another of his chefs-d'oeuvre.
From Time Magazine Archive
The travelers could distinguish clearly cones, central hills, remarkable positions of the soil, naturally placed to receive the chefs-d'oeuvre of Selenite architecture.
From From the Earth to the Moon; and, Round the Moon by Verne, Jules
These are covered with statues and bass-reliefs, many of the former being in a state of dilapidation which, considering the extreme hardness of the stone, indicates great age, while others are true chefs-d'oeuvre.
From The English Governess at the Siamese Court Being Recollections of Six Years in the Royal Palace at Bangkok by Leonowens, Anna Harriette
We are sensible that to produce such consequences extraordinary studies are required: but learning is not perceived in this work, except by his perfect knowledge of the chefs-d'oeuvre of composition.
From Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature by Black, John
With the Romans began the private collection of chefs-d'oeuvre in its most snobbish aspect.
From Education: How Old The New by Walsh, James J.
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.
