fanfare
Americannoun
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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:
For Umphenour, the story of “The Odyssey’s” release and all of the 70mm fanfare is one of preservationists triumphing over countless obstacles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in August after two years of dating, to much fanfare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
The native Ohioan said she had so far only seen "a lot of forklifts unloading trucks. If I am online and I see...a commotion and a fanfare, I will probably come back."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
The event started with the Crown of Scotland being escorted down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle before the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland brass ensemble performed a fanfare in the debating chamber.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Butler proceeded with discretion: no big announcement in the Daily Press, no fanfare in Air Scoop.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
It pays homage to classic Hollywood scores about ancient Rome, namely Miklós Rózsa’s “Ben-Hur,” with brass fanfares and stately processionals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2024
Some blocos are powered by behemoth sound trucks known as electric trios, others by small fanfares.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
But all the fancy regal fanfares in the world on Tuesday might be drowned out by bigger realities.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2023
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
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
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.
