French word

extraordinaire

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛkstʁaɔʁdinɛʁ/

Meaning

  • adjectiveamazing

Example

C'est extraordinaire !

It's amazing!

Illustration for extraordinaire (amazing)

More examples

Il a un talent extraordinaire pour la musique.

He has an extraordinary talent for music.

Core concept

A familiar scene suddenly rises beyond the usual scale and draws immediate wonder or praise.

Common phrases

  • un talent extraordinaire

    an extraordinary talent

  • une performance extraordinaire

    an extraordinary performance

  • une idée extraordinaire

    an extraordinary idea

Similar words

génial: Wonderful and expressing delight or admiration.
incroyable: So astonishing that it seems impossible to be real.
formidable: So impressive that it can feel overwhelming.
exceptionnel: Exceptionally excellent and far above the usual standard.

Definition in French

Qui dépasse l'ordinaire et suscite surprise ou admiration.

Word origin

Extraordinaire comes from Latin extraordinarius, formed from extra 'outside' and ordinarius 'ordinary', and entered French through Old French.

Usage tips

  • Extraordinaire has the same spelling for masculine and feminine singular, while the plural adds -s, usually silent in speech.

Other meanings

  • exceptionaladjective
  • remarkableadjective
  • unusualadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word