Meaning
Originally a child whose inopportune, outrageous remarks embarrass the adults around them; in modern use, chiefly a person, often a conspicuously young or talented one, whose shocking behaviour, blunt speech or unorthodox methods alarm the establishment of their field. The tone is usually amused and half-admiring, common in coverage of the arts, fashion, business and sport. Affectionately mocking; strongly associated with avant-garde figures in fashion, film and the other arts. Regional use: General English (borrowed from French).
Origin
French for 'terrible child', more exactly 'terrifying child' (enfant = child; terrible in its older sense of causing terror or dismay rather than mere naughtiness). Merriam-Webster's word history records that English speakers borrowed the term in the mid-19th century, at first for unpredictable children who blurted out outrageous remarks that embarrassed their elders; the first known use is dated 1851, and Dictionary.com records the borrowing between 1850 and 1855. By the 1930s the term covered anyone, young or old, whose behaviour shocked others, and it is now often applied to young, successful newcomers whose new approaches or easy successes disconcert old-timers. English keeps the French plural enfants terribles.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- enfant terribles
- enfants terribles
Usage Examples
- The label's enfant terrible arrived at the awards ceremony in a hand-painted suit.
- Once the enfant terrible of analytics, she now chairs the industry standards body.
- Columnists dubbed the young mayor the enfant terrible of city politics after his first budget.