enfant terrible
1
9.9
- noun
- /ɑ̃fɑ̃ tɛʁibl/
:
enfant terrible
- He is a hairy, heavily built man, his facial features roughly textured, who in his sixties is still the enfant terrible of college junketings and gatherings such as this one.
- fashion's enfant terrible
- still the enfant terrible
Examples
-
The raw nature of his subject matter and his blunt style have made him something of an enfant terrible of letters.
Fiction book (1998) -
"Patrick Buchanan, the enfant terrible of the far right, told listeners that the Los Angeles rioters came out of public schools where God and the Ten Commandments and the Bible were long ago expelled.
Academic text (1992) -
The exhibition concept was initiated by Wayne Barker, who is regarded as the enfant terrible of the local scene.
Academic text (1996) -
Violet bounced on her toes, like a true enfant terrible.
Fiction book (1990) -
Buddy Mangan, the current enfant terrible, wild card, and cause célèbre of the art business in these parts.
Fiction book (1995) -
Max Stirner was the enfant terrible of the left Hegelian circle, often referred to as the 'young Hegelians,' that arose in Berlin in the 1840s.
Blog text (2) -
He's known as the enfant terrible of modern art due to his shocking and unconventional exhibits.
-
The enfant terrible of the tech world often challenges the norms with his disruptive inventions.
-
As the enfant terrible of the fashion industry, she is celebrated for her bold and daring designs.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A child who behaves badly and causes a lot of trouble
Surface Forms
Morphology
enfant + terrible
This is a French loanphrase whose English meaning ('a provocative or shocking person, often an adult in the arts') cannot be predicted by literally combining 'enfant' (child) and 'terrible' (terrible). A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would likely infer 'terrible child' and not the idiomatic, culture-specific sense used in English, so prior exposure or cultural knowledge is required.
Etymology
Enfant terrible comes from French and literally joins enfant 'child' and terrible 'terrible' to create the image of a child who shocks adults. It was used for young artists whose bold or rude acts embarrassed others, so today it means 'a person whose shocking behavior embarrasses or annoys others'.