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

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

For an enfant terrible, Munk is surprisingly modest and self-effacing. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024

Now marking its eighth edition, Venice Immersive remains the greater Biennale family’s perpetual enfant terrible. —Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024

The look is a combination of two previous designs by the enfant terrible of French fashion. —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, terrifying child

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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