French word

éclat

Pronunciation

IPA/ekla/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbrightness

Example

L'éclat du soleil m'a aveuglé.

The sun's brightness blinded me.

Illustration for éclat (brightness)

More examples

Un éclat de diamant scintillait sur sa bague.

A diamond sparkle was glinting on her ring.

Core concept

An attention-catching burst whose force appears in a flash of light, vivid color, or an emotional outpouring.

Common phrases

  • éclat de diamant

    diamond sparkle

  • éclat d'or

    golden gleam

Similar words

lumière: Illumination that makes an object or place brighter.
clarté: Brightness that allows things to be seen and understood clearly.
brillance: A glossy brightness produced by light reflecting strongly from a surface.

Definition in French

Brillance vive ou intensité qui attire l'attention, utilisée au sens matériel comme figuré.

Word origin

Old French esclat is the source of éclat; its early association with something bursting or breaking helps explain the modern idea of sudden brilliance or intense expression.

Usage tips

  • The fixed phrase un éclat de rire means a burst of laughter, with de linking éclat to the source of the outburst.

Other meanings

  • sparklenoun
  • lusternoun
  • vividnessnoun
  • shardnoun

Opposites

  • matitédullnessnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word