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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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.
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
It was another reminder of Pogacar’s sublime talent but also his panache.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Neymar brought profile and panache to Paris but could not deliver the holy grail of European success, Denilson's trickery failed to help Real Betis beat the drop, a car crash curtailed Gigi Lentini's buccaneering brilliance.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Sokolov’s eye for visual flair brings some much-needed panache to this well-worn formula, but even his playful directorial spirit isn’t enough to shake the feeling that one has seen this film before.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
Lancelot had been smoothing the panache of feathers which was used as a distinguishing mark on the helm in Uncle Dap’s hands.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
