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  • manque
    manque
    noun
    the numbers 1 to 18 in roulette.
  • manqué
    manqué
    adjective
    having failed, missed, or fallen short, especially because of circumstances or a defect of character; unsuccessful; unfulfilled or frustrated (usually used postpositively).

manque

1 American  
[mahnk] / mɑ̃k /

noun

French.
  1. the numbers 1 to 18 in roulette.


manqué 2 American  
[mahng-key, mahn-key] / mɑŋˈkeɪ, mɑ̃ˈkeɪ /

adjective

  1. having failed, missed, or fallen short, especially because of circumstances or a defect of character; unsuccessful; unfulfilled or frustrated (usually used postpositively).

    a poet manqué who never produced a single book of verse.


manqué British  
/ ˈmɒŋkeɪ, mɑ̃ke /

adjective

  1. (postpositive) unfulfilled; potential; would-be

    the manager is an actor manqué

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of manque1

Literally, “lack”

Origin of manqué2

1770–80; < French, past participle of manquer to lack, be short of < Italian mancare, derivative of manco lacking, defective < Medieval Latin, Late Latin mancus ( Latin: feeble, literally, maimed, having a useless hand, probably derivative of manus hand)

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:

An artist manque, she maintains that her particular skill is to recognize and nurture talent.

From New York Times Sep. 29, 2022

It was a manque version of the hypertheatricality that elevated the band out of scene notoriety to pop ubiquity.

From New York Times Sep. 11, 2022

Philip – a Roth manque – is waiting for the release of his second novel, which is bound to be well received.

From The Guardian Jun. 4, 2015

Ultimately, all of Walker's principal narrators reveal themselves as dictators manque, people who believe that the truth is whatever they happen to say and who will tolerate no dissenting opinions.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Elle ne manque rien," the great Saint-Saëns said.

From In the Courts of Memory, 1858 1875; from Contemporary Letters by Hegermann-Lindencrone, L. de (Lillie de)

And yet compelling as the theory of Mourinho as a player manqué is, and that as a result he feels the need to master them at all times, this is not a straightforward case.

From The Guardian Oct. 27, 2017

Or, she was an architect manqué, whose construction oddities like the “staircase to nowhere” were simply the result of a lack of formal training.

From Los Angeles Times May 10, 2017

It’s the inflated babble of a guru manqué, absolutely.

From The New Yorker Jun. 24, 2015

Charlie Mortdecai, a bumbling aristocratic bon vivant and sociopath who lives beyond his means and deals in stolen art, is a vehicle for Mr. Depp to turn into a kind of Austin Powers manqué.

From New York Times Jan. 22, 2015

When I hear my bouillon bubble, the tears are in my eyes, for I know it is a plat manqué.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851 by Various

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