tour de force
noun
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.
tours de force
-
pluralof tour de force.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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 happy tourists don’t notice Park Chan-wook, the cinematic master behind such tours de force as “Oldboy” and “Decision to Leave,” projecting thoughtful politesse beside him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025
They are tours de force because they've had to claw their way to that position, to have their voice heard in the room and in society.
From Salon ● Nov. 7, 2023
The scene of Alec at work in 1964—unaware that his trade is heading toward extinction—is one of the novel’s tours de force, heady, vivid, ecstatically precise.
From Slate ● May 18, 2021
Included are those tours de force “The Great Sermon Handicap,” and “The Purity of the Turf.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2019
He that gains the verdict must mould, and sway, and lead, and this is to be effected by continued, persistent pressure, rather than by tours de force.
