tour de force

noun

ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs 

plural tours de force ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs 

: a feat or display of strength, skill, or ingenuity

the movie is a comic tour de force

Synonyms

• deed
• exploit
• feat
• number
• stunt
• trick

Examples of tour de force in a Sentence

The book is a tour de force.

Her performance in the play was a real tour de force.

Recent Examples on the Web

From its debut at the 1924 Grand Prix de Lyon, the open-wheel tour de force garnered approximately 2,500 first-place finishes, including consecutive victories at the Targa Florio from 1925 through 1929. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2024

The complexity of the story required a tour de force. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024

An early clue that this Palm Beach County tour de force would be no typical home—and its owners no typical patrons—arrived in the form of stone slabs. —Andrew Sessa, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2024

The Tony winner transforms into Satchmo in this astounding tour de force, which also features exuberant choreography and a splendid quartet of women playing the jazz great's wives. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above