flashed his … smile and waved with the panache of a big-city mayor—Joe Morgenstern
Illustration of panache
panache 1
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Few literary characters can match the panache of French poet and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac, from Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play of the same name. In his dying moments, Cyrano declares that the one thing left to him is his panache, and that assertion at once demonstrates the meaning of the word and draws upon its history. In both French and English, panache (which traces back to Late Latin pinnaculum, “small wing”) originally referred to a showy, feathery plume on a hat or helmet; our familiar figurative sense debuted in the first English translation of Rostand’s play, which made the literal plume a metaphor for Cyrano’s unflagging verve even in death. In a 1903 speech Rostand himself described panache: “A little frivolous perhaps, most certainly a little theatrical, panache is nothing but a grace which is so difficult to retain in the face of death, a grace which demands so much strength that, all the same, it is a grace … which I wish for all of us.”
Examples of panache in a Sentence
She played the role of hostess with great panache.
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The Liberta, the Maison’s newest bag, epitomizes this design philosophy with panache.—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Jan. 2025 There was a time when owning silver was a rite of passage and, while its panache has decreased in recent year, there's still inherent value in this precious metal.—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025 The double lounge, in particular, oozes panache with its deep, velvet sofas, a state-of-the-art fireplace and marble tables.—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 This brand stands out, too, for its design panache.—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for panache
Word History
Etymology
Middle French pennache, from Old Italian pennacchio, from Late Latin pinnaculum small wing — more at pinnacle
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