manqué

¹

[mahng-key, mahn-key]

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.

manque

²

[mahnk]

noun

French.

1. the numbers 1 to 18 in roulette.

manqué

/ ˈmɒŋkeɪ, mɑ̃ke /

adjective

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

   the manager is an actor manqué

Word History and Origins

Origin of manqué¹

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)

Origin of manqué²

Literally, “lack”

Word History and Origins

Origin of manqué¹

C19: literally: having missed

Example Sentences

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

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

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As for Trump, he is the star of his own newsreel, a preening Mussolini manque whose poll numbers are already falling.

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She lacks her husband’s talent for, well, political dexterity, and after so many years at the table of Washington and Wall Street elites she’s hardly persuasive running as Elizabeth Warren manque.

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

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