éclat
Americannoun
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brilliance of success, reputation, etc..
the éclat of a great achievement.
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showy or elaborate display.
a performance of great éclat.
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acclamation; acclaim.
noun
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brilliant or conspicuous success, effect, etc
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showy display; ostentation
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social distinction
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approval; acclaim; applause
Etymology
Origin of éclat
1665–75; < French: splinter, fragment, burst, flash, brilliance, Old French esclat, noun derivative of esclater to burst, break violently, probably < Old Low Franconian *slaitan to split, break (compare Old High German sleizan to tear), a causative of Germanic *slitan; see slit
Explanation
When you do something with eclat, you do it with great style or an amazing effect. A skilled magician performs all of her tricks with eclat. Eclat is the gusto or flair with which you make an entrance at a party or sing a song at your school talent show. It's also a certain measure of success, especially the type that other people consider you to have — your skill on the soccer field might lend you a certain amount of eclat among your classmates, for example. The word eclat comes from the French éclat, which means "splinter or fragment," but also "flash of brilliance."
Vocabulary lists containing eclat
English Words Derived from French, List 9
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Eight Cousins
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The Last of the Mohicans
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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.
Ford ends his appreciation with éclat, holding up the famous opening paragraphs of Great Expectations as the work of a “master stylist”.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 9, 2020
When one hospital resident ruefully muses that “Heaven’ll be the same as Heathrow. There’ll be a VIP lounge,” the economic lunacy of our age is skewered with droll éclat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2018
Nonetheless, France did manage a few moments of éclat et élan in that semifinal, and none were more breathtaking than Kylian Mbappé’s backheel.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2018
Indeed, that the 500th anniversary of Luther’s act has been noted without éclat in the United States may be something to celebrate.
From Time ● Oct. 30, 2017
And many love a pretty wife For love of the éclat she brings them!
From A Selection from the Works of Frederick Locker by Hannah Jane Locker-Lampson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
