déjà vu

noun

dé·​jà vu ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü  -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

2

: 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

After suffering four excruciating defeats to begin its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Cal could have been swallowed up by deja vu when Wake Forest fought back to trail just 39-36 midway through the fourth quarter on Friday night. —Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

In a deja vu sequence down by three at the end of regulation, the Nuggets opted to go for two points with 33.8 seconds left. —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2024

In many ways, Tuesday felt like deja vu. To win the first three games of this World Series, the Dodgers’ bullpen was heavily taxed. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024

Watching this saga gives me Blockbuster-Netflix deja vu. Democratic leadership fails to understand that crypto has the potential to usher in a progressive era, through the technology itself. —Laura Shin, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

French, adjective, literally, already seen

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids 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 

: paramnesia sense b