je ne sais quoi

noun

: something (such as an appealing quality) that cannot be adequately described or expressed
a young actress who has a certain je ne sais quoi

Examples of je ne sais quoi in a Sentence

Although the sculpture had flaws, it also had a certain je ne sais quoi that made it very appealing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Browned butter gives them that je ne sais quoi quality that will have your new neighbors reaching out for the recipe. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2025 Indeed, his photographs came to represent the je ne sais quoi of Paris during the Jazz Age. airmail.news, 1 June 2024 The clothes fit, the fabrics are high quality, and their bold je ne sais quoi statement pieces can be reliably counted on to turn heads and last for years. Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 Imagine an elegant Italian city with a bit of French je ne sais quoi—that city is Turin (or Torino in Italian). Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for je ne sais quoi

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, I know not what

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of je ne sais quoi was circa 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Je ne sais quoi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/je%20ne%20sais%20quoi. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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