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noir

noir

81 7.7
A style of film or story about crime with a dark, gloomy mood
  • noun
  • /nɔr/
  • Literature
translation icon : cine negro
  • But two elements that are perhaps more noticeable and important in noir are dialogue and plot.
  • elements of noir
  • dialogue in noir

This trend has its roots in film noir.

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Examples

  • Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, one of the leading mystery magazines, publishes roughly 25 percent noir, editor Janet Hutchings says.

    Academic text (2011)
  • You know, we sort of have this Boston noir sort of genre that we seem to always be stuck with.

  • "I think it's the first animated film noir ever made," the director said.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • "A few years ago, EQMM brought back its Black Mask Department, which is exclusively for noir stories."

    Academic text (2011)
  • Its noir anthologies based on specific cities started with Brooklyn Noir in 2004 and have expanded to more than 40 titles.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In the 1940s, film noir emerged, and in the 1950s, noir fiction saw its heyday.

    Academic text (2011)
  • One publisher that has helped get noir back on the literary map is the Brooklyn-based publisher Akashic Books.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Like all good fiction, noir incorporates fictional techniques including metaphor, simile, and narrative.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The movie is a classic noir that captures the essence of crime and moral ambiguity.

  • She loves reading noir novels because of their dark themes and complex characters.

Synonyms

film noir
vsnoir
20 7.0

A dark crime movie style with shadowy lighting and dishonest characters

is broader, applying to crime stories across film and literature beyond that era

Compounds

20 7.0

A dark crime movie style with shadowy lighting and dishonest characters

9 4.9

A red grape and the dry red wine made from it

5.8

A small cup of strong black coffee served without milk or cream

A card game with two rows where players bet on the color or row closer to a number

Surface Forms

noir singular
noirs plural

Etymology

Noir comes from French noir meaning 'black'. Critics used the phrase 'film noir' for dark crime movies, and now a noir is a film or book that feels dark, gloomy, and full of moral danger.