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Glite Dictionary
madeleine moment

madeleine moment

9.6
A sudden memory from a smell or sound that makes you feel as if you are back in the past
  • noun
  • /ˌmædəˈlɛn moʊmənt/
  • Literature
translation icon : momento madeleine
  • Opening the box of crayons created a madeleine moment, flooding him with memories of his first art class.

Examples

  • Hearing that old song proved to be a madeleine moment for him, instantly recalling high school dances.

  • The smell of sun-warmed tar was a madeleine moment that took her back to her childhood summers.

  • That was a beautiful madeleine moment.

  • The smell of fresh bread triggered a madeleine moment for him.

  • The smell of freshly baked cookies created a madeleine moment that reminded her of her grandmother's kitchen.

  • Hearing that old song brought back a madeleine moment from her childhood summers at the beach.

  • The sight of the old train station triggered a madeleine moment, flooding him with memories of family trips.

Synonyms

madeleine
vsmadeleine moment
  • Literature
1 8.2

Something that suddenly brings back a strong memory, often by smell or taste

is the phrase for the sudden nostalgic experience rather than one object
Mintie moment
vsmadeleine moment
  • Informal
9.9

A happy moment you remember with a warm, sweet feeling

focuses on sudden sensory recall rather than general joyful nostalgia

How Nostalgic

flashback
  • Specialized
45 6.5
madeleine moment
  • Literature
9.6
reminder
342 1.0
to cue
60 3.2

Surface Forms

madeleine moment singular
madeleine moments plural

Morphology

madeleine + moment

The noun combines 'madeleine' (a sensory stimulus that recalls past events) with 'moment', so the meaning 'a moment when a sensory cue vividly brings back a memory' follows directly from the constituents. It is compositional and predictable given the stated definitions, though in practice the literary/cultural reference (Proust) may make the word 'madeleine' low-frequency for learners.

Etymology

Madeleine moment comes from a scene by the writer Marcel Proust where tasting a small cake called a madeleine dipped in tea suddenly brought back a childhood memory. So a madeleine moment now means a tiny smell, taste, or other feeling that suddenly brings a clear 'sudden memory' or 'nostalgia'.