panache

noun

pa·​nache pə-ˈnash  -ˈnäsh 

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

Illustration of panache

• panache 1

Did you know?

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

In Spain, the Madera Fernandez family has been busy building the Vestige Collection, which infuses significant historical sites with thoughtful panache. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2024

Those qualities came to life with extraordinary panache in a Hudson Valley country home the designer created for a couple with decidedly refined tastes (AD, February 2024). —The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 4 Dec. 2024

Find it on Amazon This Cosmetic Bag For Your Holiday Getaway Travel with panache with this Cosmetic Bag that is perfect for weekend getaways and big holiday travels. —Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024

Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda’s screenplay withholds the cause of the parental transformation until quite close to the end — a smart choice that puts viewers in the throes of action from the first song, which Zegler belts with typical panache. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French pennache, from Old Italian pennacchio, from Late Latin pinnaculum small wing — more at pinnacle

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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