enfant terrible
noun
äⁿ-fäⁿ-te-ˈrēblᵊ
äⁿ-fäⁿ-te-ˈrēblᵊ
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Enfant terrible, which literally means "terrifying child" in French, sounds like something that might be uttered by a frazzled babysitter. Indeed, when English speakers first borrowed the term in the mid-19th century, it was used in reference to children - specifically, unpredictable children who blurted out outrageous remarks that embarrassed their elders. By the 1930s, the term had a broader application: an enfant terrible could be anyone - young or old - whose behavior shocked others. Now the term is also often applied to young, successful newcomers who shock or scare old-timers with their new approaches, easy successes, or disregard for tradition.
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Examples of enfant terrible in a Sentence
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 24 June 2024
After poring over the 5,000-word piece, he was relieved by the omission: No good could come from being anointed a member of this A-list tribe of enfants terribles.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 13 June 2024
Julius Malema, the enfant terrible of South African politics, vows that his enemies have nowhere to hide.
—Erin Conway-Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2019
After Jean-Luc Godard, Leos Carax is probably the French filmmaker most associated with the term enfant terrible.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for enfant terrible 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enfant terrible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Enfant terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enfant%20terrible. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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