Enfant terrible

[ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩]

/[ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩]/ noun

The verdict

“Enfant terrible” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - jemand, der durch exzentrisches, nicht den Regeln entsprechendes Verhalten seine Umgebung schockiert und provoziert

Corpus desk

Index DE-enfant-terrible · Enfant terrible · German

Enfant terrible · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 15 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Enfant terrible
PropertyValue
HeadwordEnfant terrible
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Enfant terrible“ im Deutschen

Enfant terribleschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Enfant terrible is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "jemand, der durch exzentrisches, nicht den Regeln entsprechendes Verhalten seine Umgebung schockiert und provoziert".

No misspelling variants are generated for Enfant terrible in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is Enfant terrible, spelled E-N-F-A-N-T- -T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemand, der durch exzentrisches, nicht den Regeln entsprechendes Verhalten seine Umgebung schockiert und provoziert

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Enfant terrible appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Meese, umstrittenes Enfant terrible der Kunstszene, dessen überbordende Installationen und grob zusammengeschmierte Gemälde astronomische Preise erzielen, hat sich Großes vorgenommen.“
  2. „Der würde weiterhin das Enfant terrible spielen mit rüden Manieren und einem goldenen Pfadfinderherzen.“.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Enfant terrible"?
"Enfant terrible" is spelled E-N-F-A-N-T- -T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩].
What does "Enfant terrible" mean?
As a noun, "Enfant terrible" means: jemand, der durch exzentrisches, nicht den Regeln entsprechendes Verhalten seine Umgebung schockiert und provoziert
How do you pronounce "Enfant terrible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Enfant terrible" is [ɑ̃ˌfɑ̃ː tɛˈʁiːbl̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Enfant terrible" come from?
"Enfant terrible" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list