Adjacent Words

flair definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a natural talent; "he has a flair for mathematics"; "he has a genius for interior decorating" [syn: flair, genius]
2: distinctive and stylish elegance; "he wooed her with the confident dash of a cavalry officer" [syn: dash, elan, flair, panache, style]
3: a shape that spreads outward; "the skirt had a wide flare" [syn: flare, flair]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: French, literally, sense of smell, from Old French, odor, from flairier to give off an odor, from Late Latin flagrare, alteration of Latin fragrare Date: 1881 1. a skill or instinctive ability to appreciate or make good use of something ; talent <a flair for color>; also inclination, tendency <a flair for the dramatic> 2. a uniquely attractive quality ; style <fashionable dresses with a flair all their own>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an instinct for selecting or performing what is excellent, useful, etc.; a talent (has a flair for knowing what the public wants; has a flair for languages). 2 talent or ability, esp. artistic or stylistic. Etymology: F flairer to smell ult. f. L fragrare: see FRAGRANT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Flair Flair (fl[^a]r), n. [OE. flaireodor, fr. OF. & F. flair, fr. OF. flairier, F. flairer, to smell, LL. flagrare for L. fragrare. See Flagrant.] 1. Smell; odor. [Obs.] 2. Sense of smell; scent; fig., discriminating sense.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you have a flair for a particular thing, you have a natural ability to do it well. ...a friend who has a flair for languages. = talent, gift N-SING: N for n 2. If you have flair, you do things in an original, interesting, and stylish way. Their work has all the usual punch, panache and flair you'd expect. = style, panache [approval]

Moby Thesaurus

ability, ableness, acuity, acumen, acuteness, adequacy, adroitness, an ear for, an eye for, aptitude, aptness, art, artistic skill, artistry, arty-craftiness, bent, blazon, braininess, bravura, brightness, brilliance, brilliancy, bump, caliber, capability, capableness, capacity, capacity for, chic, clear thinking, cleverness, competence, critical discernment, daring, dash, demonstration, dexterity, discernment, display, dower, dowry, dramatics, eclat, efficacy, efficiency, elan, elegance, endowment, equipment, esprit, etalage, exhibition, exhibitionism, facility, faculty, false front, fanfaronade, feel, felicity, figure, fitness, flaunt, flaunting, flourish, forte, genius, genius for, gift, gift for, giftedness, gifts, glamor, head, histrionics, inclination, innate aptitude, insight, instinct, judgment, keen-wittedness, keenness, knack, leaning, long suit, makings, manifestation, mental alertness, mercurial mind, metier, mind, native cleverness, natural endowment, natural gift, nimble mind, nimble-wittedness, nimbleness, nous, oomph, pageant, pageantry, panache, parade, parts, penetration, perception, perceptiveness, perspicacity, pizzazz, potential, power, powers, proclivity, proficiency, propensity, qualification, quick parts, quick thinking, quick wit, quick-wittedness, quickness, ready wit, savvy, sham, sharp-wittedness, sharpness, show, showing-off, skill, smartness, smarts, sparkle, speciality, spectacle, splash, splurge, sprightly wit, staginess, strong flair, strong point, style, stylishness, sufficiency, susceptibility, talent, talents, taste, tendency, the goods, the stuff, theatrics, turn, turn for, vaunt, verve, virtu, vitality, what it takes