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”; 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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Educated
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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.
Mr. Gittlitz writes with the lunatic panache of a utopian manifesto or 2000s sports blog.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
On Sunday, in blazing sunshine, Gu delivered with panache, posting a best score of 94.75 to dazzle the judges, soaring high above the lip of the halfpipe and executing her tricks with precision.
From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026
The stark visual panache of the production, however, is an impressive sight to behold.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
It made absolutely no sense, but she delivered it with such panache that it barely mattered – even when she ended the performance by pulling a dove out of a top hat.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
“I did it,” said Sweeney, with the air of one confiding a huge secret, “with panache and style. That’s how I did it.”
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions 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.
