jeu d'esprit

[ zhœ des-pree ]

noun

, French.

, plural jeux d'es·prit [zh, œ, des-, pree].

1. a witticism.
2. a literary work showing keen wit or intelligence rather than profundity.

jeu d'esprit

/ ʒø dɛspri /

noun

1. a light-hearted display of wit or cleverness, esp in literature

Word History and Origins

Origin of jeu d'esprit¹

Literally, “play of spirit”

Word History and Origins

Origin of jeu d'esprit¹

literally: play of spirit

Example Sentences

One of our poets, in a very clever jeu d'esprit, spoke of Mr. Browning as 'thinking in Greek.'

From Project Gutenberg

For a jeu d'esprit of that kind it is too long; it would have suited better as an essay or article than as a volume.

From Project Gutenberg

Then turn from the shadow of that scene to the shimmer of the one that follows immediately, full of smartness and jeu d'esprit.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a mere jeu d'esprit, a specimen of his humorous journalism, elaborated from the St James's Gazette.

From Project Gutenberg

Buckland, I think, once indulged in the jeu d'esprit of supposing an ichthyosaur lecturing on the human skull.

From Project Gutenberg