passé means dated; out of style; old-fashioned. It carries an Arena rating of 1545, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, passé ranks #1,002 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,253 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #3,342 of 17,125 for Most Incisive Words, #4,834 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words.
passé is pronounced /ˈpæ.seɪ/.
Why “passé” is a great word
Out of style or fashion; no longer current or popular. From French passé (\"passed\"), past participle of passer (\"to pass\"), from Latin passus (\"step, pace\"). Unlike “antiquated,” which implies a relic gathering dust in a forgotten archive, or “vintage,” which carries a warm patina of nostalgia, passé is the quiet dismissal of something still present but no longer noticed—the cocktail dress that dominated last season now hanging limp in the closet, the slang that once landed effortlessly now making the speaker wince, the technological gadget that feels clumsy after mere months. It is not the grand ruin of the ancient, but the soft erosion of relevance, the moment when the world steps forward and leaves you standing still.
Etymology
From French passé (“passed”, past participle of passer (“to pass”)).
adj
- Dated; out of style; old-fashioned.
- Past one's prime; worn; faded.e.g.“The coaching stock is in general in a very passé condition, but the ex-royal saloon, though needing a coat of paint outside, as another photograph shows, is spotless inside.”
noun
- An attack that passes the target without hitting.
Words closest in meaning
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