enfant terrible

noun

en·​fant ter·​ri·​ble ˌän-ˌfänt-te-ˈrē-blə  äⁿ-fäⁿ-te-ˈrēblᵊ 

plural enfants terribles ˌän-ˌfänt-te-ˈrē-blə  äⁿ-fäⁿ-te-ˈrēblᵊ 

1

a

: a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment

b

: a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior

2

: a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde

Did you know?

Enfant terrible, which literally means "terrifying child" in French, sounds like something that might be uttered by a frazzled babysitter. Indeed, when English speakers first borrowed the term in the mid-19th century, it was used in reference to children - specifically, unpredictable children who blurted out outrageous remarks that embarrassed their elders. By the 1930s, the term had a broader application: an enfant terrible could be anyone - young or old - whose behavior shocked others. Now the term is also often applied to young, successful newcomers who shock or scare old-timers with their new approaches, easy successes, or disregard for tradition.

Synonyms

• bohemian
• boho
• counterculturist
• deviant
• free spirit
• heretic
• iconoclast
• individualist
• lone ranger
• lone wolf
• loner
• maverick
• nonconformer
• nonconformist

Examples of enfant terrible in a Sentence

an author who reveled in his role as the enfant terrible of American letters

Recent Examples on the Web

For over a decade, Grimes delighted the public with hilariously dilettante and enfant terrible press bits. —Alexandra Bregman, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024

Well, my editor, Judith Regan, was the enfant terrible of publishing in the ‘90s. —Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 9 Dec. 2024

The political enfants terribles of the Left, Right, and center are stuck with one another until July 2025 — the soonest that another snap election can be called. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Dec. 2024

But Hollinghurst began as a sort of enfant terrible. —Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, terrifying child

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!