Enfant terrible

Enfant terrible (/ˌɒ̃fɒ̃ tɛˈriːblə/; French: [ɑ̃fɑ̃ tɛʁibl]; lit. 'terrible child') is a French expression, traditionally referring to a child who is terrifyingly candid by saying embarrassing things to parents or others.[1][2]

For other uses, see Enfant terrible (disambiguation) and Les Enfants Terribles (disambiguation).
Look up enfant terrible in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Contemporary use

In modern times, the expression has drawn multiple usage in careers of art, fashion, music, and other creative arts. In these careers, it implies a successful, and often young, "genius" who is very unorthodox, striking, and in some cases, offensive, or rebellious.[3]

One of Webster's Dictionary's definitions of enfant terrible is "a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde".[4]

The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, gives the definition: "A child who embarrasses his elders by untimely remarks; transf. a person who compromises his associates or his party by unorthodox or ill-considered speech or behaviour; loosely, one who acts unconventionally."

See also

References
  1. "enfant terrible". dictionary.reverso.net. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  2. "enfant terrible". www.wordreference.com. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  3. "enfant terrible". translation.babylon.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  4. "enfant terrible". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved March 20, 2020.





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