tour de force

American  

[toor duh fawrs, -fohrs, toor duh fawrs] / ˌtʊər də ˈfɔrs, -ˈfoʊrs, tur də ˈfɔrs /

noun

• tours de force
  plural

1. an exceptional achievement by an artist, author, or the like, that is unlikely to be equaled by that person or anyone else; stroke of genius.

   Herman Melville's Moby Dick was a tour de force.

2. a particularly adroit maneuver or technique in handling a difficult situation.

   The way the president got his bill through the Senate was a tour de force.

3. a feat requiring unusual strength, skill, or ingenuity.

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tour de force British  

/ ˈtʊə də ˈfɔːs, tur də fɔrs /

noun

1. a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment

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tour de force Cultural  

1. A feat accomplished through great skill and ability: “The speech was a tour de force; it swept the audience off its feet.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tours de force
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tour de force

1795–1805; < French: feat of strength or skill

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tour de force

Mr. Malkovich’s wickedly entertaining, cynical yet soulful performance is the heart of a surprisingly emotional tour de force from Mr. McDonagh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

For one thing, the album’s 14 tracks are a tour de force, a masterpiece of inspired songwriting and musicianship.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

"It is a tour de force of Yao Xue's PhD thesis work, pairing an innovative approach with exceptional electrophysiological skill."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Metcalf, finding the hidden emotion in Sarah’s burned out inner life, delivered a stripped-down tour de force.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Lincoln’s speech was a political as well as a literary tour de force, and what was really clever about it—not to mention cheeky—was that he used it, in effect, to game the Constitution.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith