panache
Americannoun
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a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair.
The actor who would play Cyrano must have panache.
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an ornamental plume of feathers, tassels, or the like, especially one worn on a helmet or cap.
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Architecture. the surface of a pendentive.
noun
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a dashing manner; style; swagger
he rides with panache
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a feathered plume on a helmet
Etymology
Origin of panache
First recorded in 1545–55; variant (after French ) of pennache, from Middle French, from early Italian pennachio, from Late Latin pinnāculum, diminutive of pinna “wing”; identical in form with pinnāculum “roof gable, peak”; see pinnacle
Explanation
To have panache is to have a stylish flair. You might wear your giant polka-dotted scarf with great panache. Panache comes from the Latin word pinnaculum, which means “small wing” or “tuft of feathers.” When you decorate yourself with a flourish, have an elegant appearance, or do something with style, you are said to have panache. You might wear your beret with new-found panache. Your aunt Milly may throw a party with unmatched panache. Or your brother's ability to turn a phrase may show an uncommon panache.
Vocabulary lists containing panache
Into the Wild
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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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.
Kubrick ends it with his signature black-comic panache.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The darker strains in his comedies have been drawn out by directors eager to show there’s more to the playwright than his drawing room panache.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Later, when Bond is whisked to Vietnam, the orchestra swells with suave panache, immersing you in the action before 007 has even uttered a quip.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
The film is well-paced, if occasionally repetitive, and approaches the hackneyed wish-gone-wrong formula with some unique panache.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
Kay’s panache, for instance, was shaped like a rigid, flat fan, with its edges pointing fore and aft.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
