50 words in French that bring out a je-ne-sais-quoi

Philippe K. (Canada)
When Molière meets Shakespeare.
50 words 19 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. accoutrement
    accessory or supplementary item of clothing
  2. agent provocateur
    a secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
  3. auteur
    a filmmaker who has a personal style
  4. avant-garde
    radically new or original
  5. blase
    uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence
  6. bourgeois
    conforming to the conventions of the middle class
  7. carte blanche
    complete freedom or authority to act
  8. chic
    elegant and stylish
  9. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  10. coup d'etat
    a sudden and decisive change of government by force
  11. deja vu
    the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
  12. denouement
    the outcome of a complex sequence of events
  13. dilettante
    an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention
  14. double entendre
    a word or phrase with two meanings, one of which is indecent
    Only used in English. In French : "double sens".
  15. encore
    an extra performance in response to audience demand
  16. enfant terrible
    a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others
    A successful and usually young person who is strikingly unorthodox. Usage is common in film, visual arts, music and fashion.
  17. ennui
    the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  18. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
  19. femme fatale
    a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive
  20. fin de siecle
    relating to or characteristic of the end of a century
    With a connotation of decadence.
  21. gaffe
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  22. gourmet
    a person highly knowledgeable and appreciative of fine food and drink
  23. grandeur
    the quality of being magnificent or splendid
  24. hauteur
    overbearing pride with a superior manner toward inferiors
  25. je ne sais quoi
    something indescribable
  26. joie de vivre
    a keen or exuberant enjoyment of life
  27. laissez-faire
    with minimally restricted freedom, especially in commerce
  28. liaison
    a means of communication between groups
    Can also mean an affair.
  29. maladroit
    not quick or skillful in action or thought
  30. malaise
    a feeling of mild sickness or depression
  31. matinee
    a theatrical performance held during the daytime
  32. melee
    a noisy riotous fight
  33. motif
    a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
  34. naive
    not initiated; deficient in relevant experience
  35. nouveau-riche
    characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
  36. oeuvre
    the total output of a writer or artist
  37. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  38. petite
    very small
  39. potpourri
    a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
  40. protege
    a person who receives support from an influential patron
  41. raconteur
    a person skilled in telling anecdotes
  42. raison d'etre
    the reason why something exists
  43. rendezvous
    a date or meeting with a love interest
  44. repertoire
    a collection of works that an artist or company can perform
  45. saboteur
    someone who deliberately destroys or disrupts something
  46. silhouette
    an outline of a solid object as cast by its shadow
  47. tete-a-tete
    a private conversation between two people
  48. tour de force
    a masterly or brilliant feat
  49. volte-face
    a major change in attitude or principle or point of view
  50. fait accompli
    an irreversible accomplishment
Created on Thu Mar 14 04:58:10 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Mar 15 00:20:51 EDT 2013)

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