voilà
Americaninterjection
Usage
What does voilà mean? Voilà is a word used when enthusiastically revealing something, presenting something, or showing something off. Voilà is borrowed from French, in which it translates as “see there.” Saying voilà is a lot like saying “here it is,” “look at this,” or “check this out” about the thing being presented or revealed. It’s an interjection, meaning it’s a term used to express an emotion or indicate some kind of condition, usually by itself. Voilà is especially used to express satisfaction or success in relation to something that has just been done or shown. It is sometimes used in a humorous or exaggerated way, such as to be dramatic when presenting something, similar to the term ta-da. It is sometimes spelled as voila, without the accent mark over the a. Example: All you have to do is push this button, and voilà! The machine does the work for you!
Etymology
Origin of voilà
First recorded in 1825–35; from French, equivalent to voi “see!” (2nd person singular imperative of voir “to see”) + là “there”
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.
Jean Smart was expected to tie a bow on her “Hacks” run with her eighth win, et voilà.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Technology may kill old jobs but then, voilà, it creates millions of new ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
Roast your colorful veggies to perfection on Sunday night, whip up the tangy Dijon vinaigrette in minutes and voilà — lunches for the entire week are ready to grab and go!
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Just prepare your dough, add the batter to the nonstick plate, press down the lid — and voilà, you or your loved one will have yummy doughnuts that are great for snacking and entertaining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
With one press of a lever, the pee and poop were flushed away and voilà!
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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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.
