je ne sais quoi

noun

: something (such as an appealing quality) that cannot be adequately described or expressed
a young actress who has a certain je ne sais quoi

Examples of je ne sais quoi in a Sentence

Although the sculpture had flaws, it also had a certain je ne sais quoi that made it very appealing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the high end, these are popular crowd pleasers with good food that is sometimes great, that just seem to be missing that certain je ne sais quoi. Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2025 On social media, Missoma is that girl, with followers obsessing over the particular je ne sais quoi that its jewelry exudes, which can be placed in the category of quiet luxury. Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 20 Mar. 2025 Browned butter gives them that je ne sais quoi quality that will have your new neighbors reaching out for the recipe. Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2025 Indeed, his photographs came to represent the je ne sais quoi of Paris during the Jazz Age. airmail.news, 1 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for je ne sais quoi

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, I know not what

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of je ne sais quoi was circa 1656

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Cite this Entry

“Je ne sais quoi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/je%20ne%20sais%20quoi. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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