tour de force

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day
• Synonym of the Day
• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Grammar Coach ™
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips
• tour de force

an exceptional achievement by an artist, author, or the like, that is unlikely to be equaled by that person or anyone else; stroke of genius: Herman Melville's Moby Dick was a tour de force.

a particularly adroit maneuver or technique in handling a difficult situation: The way the president got his bill through the Senate was a tour de force.

a feat requiring unusual strength, skill, or ingenuity.

Origin of tour de force

Words nearby tour de force.

• tourbillion
• Tour-de-France
• tour d'horizon
• tour en l'air

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tour de force in a sentence

In her aching memoir, she embarks on a tour de force examination of her childhood, marked first by her mother’s abandoning her when she was a toddler and later by the death of her beloved father.

Through the late 1960s, Capote claimed to be writing his masterpiece, his tour de force based on his swans, but several deadlines passed for it.

At 35, Hawa Hassan is already a tour de force when it comes to Somali food in America.

Understated yet opulent, measured, and intensely creepy, it’s a tour de force in balancing uncomfortable levels of tension and suspense with deep pathos.

Page’s tour de force performance in Hard Candy led, two years later, to Juno, a low-budget indie film that brought Page Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations and sudden megafame.

His family memoir, Sweet and Low, is a tour de force of reporting and memory—tender, curious, and exceptionally funny.

It is a tour de force of reporting: 13,000 words on a two-week deadline.

It's also a masterpiece of choreographed c--tery—Joffrey's final tour de force .

And, of course, she's best known for her ball-busting tour de force as Ed Helms's wife in The Hangover.

As a result, his version is a technical tour de force but a movie that never gets under your skin.

As a tour de force in the gentle art of lying, the snake-story is justly esteemed.

As a tour de force of geometrical imagination it would be difficult to parallel this hypothesis.

The physical tour de force , was one of those feats of agility in which Neb had been my instructor, ten years before.

If the Mastersingers was a little less successful as a work of art we should still have to regard it as an amazing tour de force .

The music for such incidents cannot be of the highest beauty; here we have one of the cases of a tour de force .

British Dictionary definitions for tour de force

/ French ( tur də fɔrs , English ˈtʊə də ˈfɔːs ) /

a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for tour de force

[ (toor duh fawrs ) ]

A feat accomplished through great skill and ability: “The speech was a tour de force; it swept the audience off its feet.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of tour de force in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• a feather in your cap idiom
• accomplishment
• achievement
• achievement test
• have something to your credit idiom
• have something under your belt idiom
• secret sauce
• sense of achievement
• stratosphere

Examples of tour de force

Translations of tour de force.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

acting or speaking together, or at the same time

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• English    Noun
• Translations
• All translations

Add tour de force to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

Words and phrases

Personal account.

• Access or purchase personal subscriptions
• Get our newsletter
• Save searches
• Set display preferences

Institutional access

Sign in with library card

Sign in with username / password

Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic

tour de force noun

• Hide all quotations

What does the phrase tour de force mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the phrase tour de force . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the phrase tour de force ?

How is the phrase tour de force pronounced, british english, where does the phrase tour de force come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the phrase tour de force is in the 1800s.

OED's earliest evidence for tour de force is from 1802, in a letter by Lord Elgin.

tour de force is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French tour .

Nearby entries

• toupee, n. 1727–
• toupeed, adj. 1847–
• toupet, n. 1728–
• toupeted, adj. 1903–
• toupet-titmouse, n. 1785–
• tour, n. c1320–
• tour, v. 1746–
• Tourangeau, n. & adj. 1883–
• Tourangeois, adj. & n. 1857–
• tourbillion | tourbillon, n. 1477–
• tour de force, n. 1802–
• Tour de France, n. 1922–
• tour d'horizon, n. 1952–
• tourelle, n. c1330–
• tourer, n. 1927–
• tourette, n.¹ 1881–
• Tourette, n.² 1899–
• Tourettism, n. 1981–
• tourification, n. 1802–
• tourify, v. 1820–
• tourifying, adj. 1825–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for tour de force, n..

tour de force, n. was first published in 1913; not yet revised.

tour de force, n. was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into tour de force, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1913)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View tour de force in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for tour de force, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for tour de force, n., browse entry.

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of tour de force noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

tour de force

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

Nearby words

tour-de-force

Dictionary Definition of 'tour-de-force'

A performance or achievement that has been accomplished with great skill. "The chef's meal was a tour de force of flavors and textures."

Detailed Meaning of 'tour-de-force'

"Tour de force" is a French phrase that translates to "a feat of strength" or "a masterful accomplishment." It is used to describe a remarkable or outstanding achievement, often one that requires a high level of skill, ability, and effort. The term is often used to describe an exceptional performance or accomplishment in the arts, such as a musical performance, a play, a film, or a book. It is also used in the context of sports, to describe an extraordinary performance by an athlete or a team. In the field of science and technology, it refers to an innovative or groundbreaking achievement. In business and politics, it can refer to a particularly successful or skillful negotiation or campaign. The phrase is also used in a more general sense to describe any remarkable or outstanding achievement, regardless of the field or context. In literature and media, it is often used to describe a character's exceptional performance or accomplishment.

History and Etymology of 'tour-de-force'

The noun 'tour-de-force' has its origins in the French language, where it literally translates to 'tour of strength' or 'feat of strength.' The term 'tour' means 'turn' or 'round,' and 'force' means 'strength.' It originally referred to a remarkable physical or artistic feat that demonstrated exceptional skill, strength, or ability. Over time, it found its way into English and broadened its meaning to encompass any outstanding or remarkable achievement in various fields, such as the arts, sports, or other endeavors. Therefore, when we describe something as a 'tour-de-force,' we are acknowledging that it represents an exceptional and masterful accomplishment, achieved with great skill and often leaving a lasting impression on those who witness or experience it.

Examples of 'tour-de-force' in a Sentence

1. The building's architecture is an engineering tour-de-force. 2. The ballet performance was a choreographic tour-de-force. 3. The tech company's product launch was a technological tour-de-force. 4. The artist's exhibit is an artistic tour-de-force. 5. His leadership during the crisis was a managerial tour-de-force. 6. The scientist's research breakthrough was a scientific tour-de-force. 7. The fashion show was a design tour-de-force. 8. The guitarist's solo was a musical tour-de-force. 9. The lawyer's courtroom argument was a legal tour-de-force. 10. The director's film was a cinematic tour-de-force. 11. Her fashion collection was a design tour-de-force. 12. The athlete's world record was a physical tour-de-force. 13. The chef's new dish was a culinary tour-de-force. 14. The magician's performance was a magical tour-de-force. 15. His performance in the play was a tour de force that left the audience speechless. 16. She delivered a tour de force speech that left the crowd in awe. 17. He pulled off a tour de force in the game, scoring the winning goal in the last minute. 18. Her novel was a tour de force of storytelling and imagination. 19. The architect's design was a tour de force of innovation and functionality. 20. He performed a tour de force of acrobatics that left the audience amazed. 21. She gave a tour de force performance in the concert, singing and playing several instruments. 22. The scientist's research was a tour de force that revolutionized the field. 23. He pulled off a tour de force in the race, setting a new record. 24. Her sculpture was a tour de force of creativity and skill. 25. The dancer's routine was a tour de force of grace and athleticism.

32 French Words and Phrases Commonly Used in the English Language

18 Latin Words and Phrases Commonly Used in the English Language

​20 Fascinating English Words Derived from People and Places

30 Delicious Words: Exploring the Rich Vocabulary of Food and Drink and Its Cultural Impact

Exploring the Language of the Heart: Navigating Love and Attraction Through Words

Exploring the Language of Laughter: The Power and Evolution of Comedy's Rich Vocabulary

The Power of Words: How Vocabulary Shapes Your Career and Income

Mastering the Language of Wealth: A Comprehensive Guide to the Vocabulary of Money

Mastering Business English Vocabulary: Unlocking Professional Success and Effective Communication

Revolutionizing Vocabulary Learning: How AI is Transforming Language Acquisition

Unpacking Slang in the English Language: Evolution, Impact, and Global Influence

Deciphering the Language of War: Exploring the Vocabulary of Conflict and Conquest

Quiz Categories Containing 'tour-de-force'

Multiple Choice

Opposite Words

Same / different

Spelling Bee

eb68db_a71ac8cbf58442fe88a8c79729eefd18.mp3

• tour de force
• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Related terms
• 1.3.2 Translations
• 1.3.3 See also
• 2.1.1 Synonyms
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.3.1 Descendants
• 4.1.1 Declension

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Borrowed from French tour de force ( “ feat of strength ” ) , circa 19th century.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( US ) IPA ( key ) : /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfoɹs/ , /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfɔɹs/

Noun [ edit ]

tour de force ( plural tours de force )

• 1976 , Richard Dawkins , The Selfish Gene , Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016 , page 429 : Much as I admire Wilson’s tour de force —I wish people would read it more and read about it less—my hackles have always risen at the entirely false suggestion that his book influenced mine.

Related terms [ edit ]

• tour d'horizon

Translations [ edit ]

See also [ edit ].

• coup de force

Dutch [ edit ]

tour de force   m ( plural tours de force )

• exploit , tour de force

Synonyms [ edit ]

• huzarenstuk

French [ edit ]

Literally, “ turn of strength ” , or more loosely translated as “ turn of force ” .

• IPA ( key ) : /tuʁ də fɔʁs/

Descendants [ edit ]

German [ edit ].

tour de force   f ( genitive tour de force , plural tours de force )

• Alternative spelling of Tour de Force

Declension [ edit ]

• English terms borrowed from French
• English terms derived from French
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English countable nouns
• English multiword terms
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• Dutch lemmas
• Dutch nouns
• Dutch multiword terms
• Dutch masculine nouns
• French terms with IPA pronunciation
• French terms with audio links
• French lemmas
• French nouns
• French countable nouns
• French multiword terms
• French masculine nouns
• German lemmas
• German nouns
• German multiword terms
• German feminine nouns

Navigation menu

Synonyms of tour de force

• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Thesaurus Definition of tour de force

Synonyms & Similar Words

• achievement
• performance
• accomplishment

Thesaurus Entries Near tour de force

tourbillions

tour de force

Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, the words of the week - apr. 12, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 12 more bird names that sound like insults (and sometimes are), 8 uncommon words related to love, 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes.

• Daily Crossword
• Word Puzzle
• Word Finder
• Word of the Day

Synonym of the Day

• Word of the Year
• Language stories
• All featured
• Gender and sexuality
• All pop culture
• Grammar Coach ™
• Writing hub
• Grammar essentials
• Commonly confused
• All writing tips
• Pop culture
• Writing tips

Advertisement

• tour de force

noun as in spectacular achievement

Weak matches

• accomplishment
• achievement
• chef-d'oeuvre
• feat of strength
• grand achievement
• great achievement
• magnum opus
• master stroke
• masterpiece
• performance
• pièce de résistance
• stroke of genius

Discover More

Related words.

Words related to tour de force are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word tour de force . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in something completed successfully; goal reached

• acquirement
• acquisition
• actualization
• consummation
• contrivance
• effectuation
• encompassment
• fulfillment
• realization

noun as in model

noun as in achievement, often by maneuver

• coup d'état
• coup de mâitre
• successful stroke

noun as in achievement

• happenin'

Viewing 5 / 18 related words

Example Sentences

In her aching memoir, she embarks on a tour de force examination of her childhood, marked first by her mother’s abandoning her when she was a toddler and later by the death of her beloved father.

Through the late 1960s, Capote claimed to be writing his masterpiece, his tour de force based on his swans, but several deadlines passed for it.

At 35, Hawa Hassan is already a tour de force when it comes to Somali food in America.

Understated yet opulent, measured, and intensely creepy, it’s a tour de force in balancing uncomfortable levels of tension and suspense with deep pathos.

Page’s tour de force performance in Hard Candy led, two years later, to Juno, a low-budget indie film that brought Page Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations and sudden megafame.

His family memoir, Sweet and Low, is a tour de force of reporting and memory—tender, curious, and exceptionally funny.

It is a tour de force of reporting: 13,000 words on a two-week deadline.

It's also a masterpiece of choreographed c--tery—Joffrey's final tour de force.

And, of course, she's best known for her ball-busting tour de force as Ed Helms's wife in The Hangover.

As a result, his version is a technical tour de force but a movie that never gets under your skin.

As a tour de force in the gentle art of lying, the snake-story is justly esteemed.

As a tour de force of geometrical imagination it would be difficult to parallel this hypothesis.

The physical tour de force, was one of those feats of agility in which Neb had been my instructor, ten years before.

If the Mastersingers was a little less successful as a work of art we should still have to regard it as an amazing tour de force.

The music for such incidents cannot be of the highest beauty; here we have one of the cases of a tour de force.

Start each day with the Synonym of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

On this page you'll find 39 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to tour de force, such as: accomplishment, achievement, attainment, chef-d'oeuvre, conquest, and deed.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

• [ April 13, 2024 ] WATCH LIVE: Court Is Now In Session From the Brevard County Jail Complex Brevard Crime News
• [ April 13, 2024 ] Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Conducts Death Investigation in Port St. John Brevard Crime News
• [ April 13, 2024 ] Palm Bay Police Department Promotes Scott Eakins to Lieutenant, Now Oversees Three Patrol Districts Brevard Crime News
• [ April 13, 2024 ] WATCH: Cocoa Beach Native Kelly Slater on Retirement, Fatherhood and More in Latest Interview Brevard News
• [ April 13, 2024 ] NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Spots Galaxy Hidden Within Dark Cloud Brevard News

Home » Home » Palm Bay Police Department Participates in Annual ‘Florida Tour de Force’ Charity Bicycle Ride

Palm Bay Police Department Participates in Annual ‘Florida Tour de Force’ Charity Bicycle Ride

By Space Coast Daily  //  April 13, 2024

the ride averages approximately 50-55 miles each day

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The Palm Bay Police Department, along with law enforcement partners, participated in the Annual Florida Tour de Force charity bicycle ride.

The Tour is a 5-day, 270+ mile ride that averages approximately 50-55 miles each day and passes through 8 counties including over 40 law enforcement jurisdictions.

The ride takes place from North Miami Beach to Daytona Beach Shores and was organized and manned by devoted volunteers of the Law Enforcement community raising money for the families of Florida’s Fallen Heroes.

CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS

Similar Stories

FEATURED STORIES

Click Here to Sign Up for Text Alerts

Or Signup Below For Email Alerts!

English translation of 'tour de force'

• tour de force

Examples of 'tour de force' in a sentence tour de force

Browse alphabetically tour de force.

• tour de combat
• tour de communication
• tour de contrôle
• tour de garde
• tour de guet
• tour de lit
• All FRENCH words that begin with 'T'

Related terms of tour de force

• véritable tour de force

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

• Create Account

Signed in as:

[email protected]

• Participants
• EVENT PHOTOS

Welcome to Tour De Force

2021 Tour de Force Video

by Thomas Yoxall

What is the Tour de Force 9/11 Memorial Bike Ride

From the beginning.

The “Tour de Force” was started in 2002 after NYPD Det. Robert De Paolis (ret) decided to ride his bike to honor the fallen police officers that gave their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was then joined by 7 other members of the NYPD and one member of the Bronx District Attorney's Office and along with four volunteer support personnel, they cycled their way from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, to Ground Zero, NYC.

In 2003, the Tour de Force was incorporated in the state of New York as a nonprofit charity and later gained 501(c)3 status from the IRS.

History of the Tour

The Tour de Force has evolved into a four-day, 280 mile ride, in which 300 law enforcement officers from across the U.S. and abroad, along with some family and friends, participate to raise funds for the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Each participant, support team member and staff, raise funds and put in a lot of work throughout the year to make this event a huge success.

The Charity

The fundraising supports the families of fallen police officers.

The ride is a 4 day ride.

We remember the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks.

Featured Products

For general information:.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tour de Force 9/11 Memorial Bike Ride

22 Brotherhood Plaza, Suite 395

Washingtonville, NY 10992

Copyright © 2023 Tour De Force - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by GoDaddy

• Terms and Conditions

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Tours de force NYT Crossword Clue

Tours de force Crossword Clue Answers are listed below. Did you came up with a solution that did not solve the clue? No worries we keep a close eye on all the clues and update them regularly with the correct answers.

TOURS DE FORCE NYT