élan
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of élan
First recorded in 1875–80; French, Middle French eslan “a dash, rush,” noun derivative of eslancer “to dart,” equivalent to es- ex- 1 + lancer “to lance 1 ”
Explanation
Elan is a simple sounding word that means liveliness, flash and panache. So if your dance moves have elan, you're feeling the groove with exceptional style and vigor. Elan comes from a French word meaning "to dart," and is often spelled élan. Someone with elan can be said to dart around with enthusiasm and a unique flair. Music or art can have elan, and so can someone's wardrobe. Elan can also mean zeal or eagerness in favor of a person or cause. So don't let this boring sounding noun fool you. Elan has a lot of pizazz up its sleeve.
Vocabulary lists containing elan
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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Behave Yourself! Vocabulary for Good, Bad, and Indifferent Conduct
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Between the World and Me
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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.
And so it was with Hollywood, which over the course of four decades translated some of McMurtry’s best work for film, episodes narrated with élan by Mr. Streitfeld.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
It was something in Dominique Pelicot's swagger, his "élan" - as the French might put it - that immediately struck the psychiatrist as odd.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2024
She handled paint with the gestural élan of a materials-focused Abstract Expressionist.
From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2024
Her appearance at The Triple Door is a record release party for a surprising new EP, “Vanity,” which pushes her special blend of jazz, folk and Broadway élan into startling art-song territory.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2023
Somewhere in all this, it was thought, there also resided a mysterious élan vital, the force that brought inanimate objects to life.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
