fanfare
Americannoun
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fanfares
plural
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a flourish or short air played on trumpets or the like.
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an ostentatious display or flourish.
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publicity or advertising.
noun
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a flourish or short tune played on brass instruments, used as a military signal, at a ceremonial event, etc
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an ostentatious flourish or display
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fanfare
1760–70; < French, expressive word akin to fanfaron fanfaron.
Explanation
Fanfare is a loud, proud burst of something to get attention. If you open up a carpet store with one of those sky-sweeping lights, lots of balloons, and a brass band, you’re doing it with great fanfare. Originally fanfare meant a short burst of music played by trumpeters, usually when someone important entered a room. But these days we describe anything as fanfare that has the same feeling as a burst of trumpets. If you’re a TV executive with a new show you think is going to be a big hit, roll it out with fanfare–—ad campaigns, billboards, celebrity parties!
Vocabulary lists containing fanfare
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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.
See Examples For:
Shalini Dinesh, who lives in Austin, had already been an aficionado of Anthropic’s Claude when all the Meta Muse fanfare erupted online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"Among Quebecers there is a rare way of helping: discreet, sincere, without fanfare," he wrote in October 2025.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
One final Mad Lib to solve: What exactly, you may be wondering, is a fanfare?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The drug companies announced the preliminary results in August to much fanfare.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
And, with a fanfare of trumpets and drums, they stated in order that: “Henceforth,” “And forthwith,” “Let it be known by all men,” “That Rhyme and Reason,” “Reign once more in Wisdom.”
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
The state banquet is the spectacular showstopper of a state visit, a glittering feast with speeches, royal toasts, trumpet fanfares and fancy food and wine.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025
Some blocos are powered by behemoth sound trucks known as electric trios, others by small fanfares.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
Along with the new, there will be the usual trumpet fanfares and music which has been historically used at coronations over the last four centuries.
From Reuters ● May 4, 2023
Over a stalwart march beat, with guitar chords like distant fanfares, a prisoner prays for redemption.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2023
Horns blew fanfares as Lionstar and Lady Lyanna pushed out from shore, moving downriver to clear the way for Seaswift.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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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.
