Illustration of panache
- panache 1
1
: an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet
The palace guard had a panache on his helmet.
2
: dash or flamboyance in style and action : verve
… flashed his … smile and waved with the panache of a big-city mayor.—
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
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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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The hotel is a trophy project, for sure, but one that’s been achieved with more than a little panache.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
And now, Fieri will bring that same energy and panache to the NASCAR menu.
—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Although the visual quality throughout is strictly low-rent, the arresting opening and closing sequences reflect the visual panache of Spike Jonze, who produced.
—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
In addition to having lofty themes, this is also a fairly rousing adventure with enough visual panache to keep any kid from fidgeting in his seat.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 June 2026
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Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
And now, Fieri will bring that same energy and panache to the NASCAR menu.
—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Although the visual quality throughout is strictly low-rent, the arresting opening and closing sequences reflect the visual panache of Spike Jonze, who produced.
—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
In addition to having lofty themes, this is also a fairly rousing adventure with enough visual panache to keep any kid from fidgeting in his seat.
—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for panache
Cite this Entry
“Panache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panache. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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