déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü 
-ˈvᵫ
-ˈvᵫ
1
a
: the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time
b
: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
Despite a blond, swept-back mane all his own, Fonda looks startlingly like his father, Henry … . He even moves like his father, only dispelling the eerie feeling of déjà vu when he opens his mouth.—
Peter Biskind
Peter Biskind2
: something overly or unpleasantly familiar
The team's poor start to the season was déjà vu for its long-suffering fans.
Examples of déjà vu in a Sentence
I entered the room and immediately felt a sense of déjà vu.
When the car broke down again, it was déjà vu.
The rise in housing costs is déjà vu all over again.
Recent Examples on the Web
Having a sense of deja vu? In 2022, the Arizona Legislature passed a similar bill that changed the law on states of emergency that are declared for public health reasons.
—Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024
That may feel like deja vu to many Americans who remember the Brood X cicadas of 2021, which emerged in most of the Midwest and some eastern states.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
As corporate behemoths settle into the latest stage of the streaming era, where growing revenue is now key after years of over-spending, bundling has become quite popular — and has naturally left some cord-cutters with cable deja vu.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
For the Chargers’ supposed new era, the training camp injury felt like unwelcome deja vu.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2024
In a painful deja vu, the new house burned in the Park Fire on July 25.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2024
Expand All Northern California was experiencing a devastating case of deja vu on Friday, as a massive wildfire raged near the area destroyed by 2018’s Camp Fire.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 26 July 2024
Against Las Vegas on Friday, there was palpable frustration from the Sun players every time Wilson hit another basket in the second half en route to her double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds, invoking deja vu of her performances in Aces’ 2022 WNBA Finals win over Connecticut.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2024
Despite being fairly common, there's not much research about deja vu.
—Maria Masters, Health, 22 June 2024
Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024
That may feel like deja vu to many Americans who remember the Brood X cicadas of 2021, which emerged in most of the Midwest and some eastern states.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
As corporate behemoths settle into the latest stage of the streaming era, where growing revenue is now key after years of over-spending, bundling has become quite popular — and has naturally left some cord-cutters with cable deja vu.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
For the Chargers’ supposed new era, the training camp injury felt like unwelcome deja vu.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2024
In a painful deja vu, the new house burned in the Park Fire on July 25.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2024
Expand All Northern California was experiencing a devastating case of deja vu on Friday, as a massive wildfire raged near the area destroyed by 2018’s Camp Fire.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 26 July 2024
Against Las Vegas on Friday, there was palpable frustration from the Sun players every time Wilson hit another basket in the second half en route to her double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds, invoking deja vu of her performances in Aces’ 2022 WNBA Finals win over Connecticut.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 24 June 2024
Despite being fairly common, there's not much research about deja vu.
—Maria Masters, Health, 22 June 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'déjà vu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near déjà vu
Cite this Entry
“Déjà vu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü
-ˈvᵫ̅
: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
Etymology
French, literally, "already seen"
Medical Definition
déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈv(y)ü, dā-zhȧ-vᵫ̅
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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