élan

American  

[ey-lahn, ey-lan, ey-lahn] / eɪˈlɑn, eɪˈlæn, eɪˈlɑ̃ /

noun

1. style; flair; dash (especially in manner).

   to dance with great élan.

   Synonyms:

   zest, verve, spirit, panache, esprit, animation

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élan British  

/ eɪˈlæn, elɑ̃, eɪˈlɑːn /

noun

1. a combination of style and vigour

   he performed the concerto with élan

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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 ”

Example Sentences

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

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

Directed with élan by Tony-winner Kenny Leon, the production raises the energy level with stadium-style razzle-dazzle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2022

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