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When you are adept at something, you are very good, skillful, or talented at it.
Someone who is adroit is skillful and clever, especially in thought, behavior, or action.
When a person is ambidextrous, they can use their left or right hand with equal skill.
A connoisseur is an appreciative, informed, and knowledgeable judge of the fine arts; they can also just have excellent or perceptive taste in the fine arts without being an expert.
If someone shows consummate skill at doing something, that person’s skill is very great or almost perfect in every way.
A cynosure is an object that serves as the center of attention.
A deft movement or action is made quickly and with skill.
An exemplary person is one that sets an ideal or praiseworthy example for others to follow.
If someone exhibits finesse in something, they do it with great skill and care; this most often refers to handling difficult situations that might easily offend people.
A gauche person behaves in an awkward and unsuitable way in public because they lack social skills.
Someone who has had an illustrious professional career is celebrated and outstanding in their given field of expertise.
An impromptu speech is unplanned or spontaneous—it has not been practiced in any way beforehand.
Someone who is ineffectual at a task is useless or ineffective when attempting to do it.
Someone who is inept is unable or unsuitable to do a job; hence, they are unfit for it.
A luminary is someone who is much admired in a particular profession because they are an accomplished expert in their field.
When something is luminous, it is bright and glowing.
Something nonpareil has no equal because it is much better than all others of its kind or type.
If you are a novice at an activity, you have just begun or started doing it.
The best or most highly regarded members of a particular group are known as a pantheon.
A paragon is an example of a thing or person at its or their very best.
A Philistine is someone who does not care about and can even speak against the arts; they are considered unintellectual and ignorant—and are proud of it.
Ponderous writing or speech is boring, highly serious, and seems very long and wordy; it definitely lacks both grace and style.
Something that is prodigious is very large, impressive, or great.
If you have prowess, you possess considerable skill or ability in something.
A savant is a person who knows a lot about a subject, either via a lifetime of learning or by considerable natural ability.
A stupendous event or accomplishment is amazing, wonderful, or spectacular.
A superlative deed or act is excellent, outstanding, or the best of its kind.
To act in an uncouth manner is to be awkward and unmannerly.
Someone who is ungainly is clumsy or awkward; something ungainly can be difficult to use, primarily because of its size or weight.
Something or someone that is unprepossessing is not impressive or is unattractive.
Something that is vaunted, such as someone’s ability, is too highly praised and boasted about.
A virtuoso is someone who is very skillful at something, especially playing a musical instrument.
A yokel is uneducated, naive, and unsophisticated; they do not know much about modern life or ideas because they sequester themselves in a rural setting.
Adj.
bravura
bruh-VYOOR-uh
Context
The diva’s famous bravura accomplishment, a challenging and highly complex vocal solo, brought the members of the audience to their feet after the final, brilliant phrases of the song. Her talented vocal bravura performance of song and stunning character representation marked the finale of an award-winning opera career. In response to the diva’s outstanding bravura performance, the art critics wrote golden, praise-filled reviews on the front pages of the newspapers the following day.
Quiz:Try again!
What is the most likely example of someone who could give a bravura performance?
A lead singer in a rock concert who has to leave early due to sudden illness.
Hilary Hahn, a virtuoso violinist who is widely recognized as an elite musician.
Someone at your high school who plays the flute during periodic talent shows.
Bravo! Bravo! After the bravura performance on the tabla (Indian drums), the entire audience applauded the performance while shouting, 'Bravo! Bravo!'
Examples
Although everyone will notice the bravura work of camera operator George Richmond during one continuous seven-minute-plus battle scene, the skill of the cinematography team carries the film from the beginning to the end.
—
Los Angeles Times
Berating or bullying prosecution witnesses with relish, and peppering the judges with objections, he has turned his right to act as his own lawyer into a bravura performance.
—
The Economist
All in all, a bravura performance in a tense week, especially from the firemen who managed to limit damage in Los Feliz and Avalon to just a handful of structures.
—
Los Angeles Times
"Something radically different just had to come next," Friedwald continues, "because nothing in the realm of Tin Pan Alley could top this bravura celebration of grown-up love."
—
TIME
Word Ingredients
From a root word meaning “excellent”; a bravura performance is an “excellent” representation of a skill.
origin: Italian
Knowing language of origin or etymology is not important; but is sometimes interesting enough to make the word memorable. Only such words have associated maps.
Word Constellation
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Related Words
adept ·
adroit ·
ambidextrous ·
connoisseur ·
consummate ·
cynosure ·
deft ·
exemplary+ ·
finesse ·
illustrious+ ·
luminary ·
luminous ·
nonpareil ·
pantheon ·
paragon ·
prodigious ·
prowess+ ·
savant ·
stupendous+ ·
superlative+ ·
vaunted ·
virtuoso ·
gauche ·
impromptu+ ·
ineffectual+ ·
inept+ ·
novice+ ·
philistine+ ·
ponderous ·
uncouth ·
ungainly ·
unprepossessing ·
yokel ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
bravura
n
→
a difficult piece of music that highlights a performer's brilliant technique
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
