flâneur

American  

[flah-nur, flah-nœr] / flɑˈnɜr, flɑˈnœr /

noun

French.

plural

flâneurs

1. a person who lounges or strolls around in a seemingly aimless way; an idler or loafer.

   the flâneur, that cool, aloof observer of urban society.

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flâneur British  

/ flɑnœr /

noun

1. an idler or loafer

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Etymology

Origin of flâneur

First recorded in 1850–55; from French: literally, “loafer, idler, man about town,” equivalent to flân-, stem of flâner “to waste time” + -eur ( def. ); cf. flânerie ( def. )

Example Sentences

The French future belonged to the flâneur, the man of sensibility, at home in the crowd.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

The book revives the persona of the downtown flâneur — it’s full of nods to New York landmarks — and reading it feels like wandering around the pre-pandemic metropolis we ache to get back to.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2021

A year into the pandemic, I’ve become a flâneur by necessity, spending countless hours wandering New York City, devouring details.

From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2021

The images in “Blind Spot,” paired together, form a travelogue of a global flâneur, as Cole strolls through Tivoli, Brooklyn and Brazzaville, his camera capturing glimpses and fleeting impressions.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2017

For the perfect flâneur, for the passionate observer, it is an immense pleasure to choose his home in number, change, motion, in the fleeting and the infinite.

From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 4 by Mabie, Hamilton Wright