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

The Lions ran the ball with authority, passed it with panache and ranked in the top five in the league in both third-down efficiency and red zone production. —Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025

The Friends star has pulled off countless comedic stunts with panache over the course of his storied career, but his role in the second season of Disney+ and Hulu's Goosebumps is pushing his range to new limits. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 10 Jan. 2025

But, for the Zenbook A14, this finish was used not only on the lid but also on the palm rest, keyboard deck, and underside of the chassis, giving the whole laptop protection and panache. —Brian Westover, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025

For as much as George Lucas’s dialogue has been mocked, nobody really goofs on Vader — with one notable exception — because Jones always brought a panache, a bit of wit and class, to the performance. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 12 Sep. 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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