Éclat
/eɪˈklɑː/noun
Brilliant display, acclaim, or conspicuous success.
Did you know?In French, éclat can still mean both “a burst or fragment” and “brilliance,” preserving the word’s striking evolution from something shattered to something spectacular.
Etymological Timeline
Early Germanic; uncertain
Proto-Germanic?
*slaitaną
“To split or cleave; a proposed Germanic source connected with the word’s rupture imagery”
Old French, 12th Century
Old French
esclat
“A fragment, splinter, crash, or burst”
Middle French, 14th–15th Century
French
éclat
“A burst, sudden striking effect, or brilliant display”
17th Century
French
éclat
“Brilliance, distinction, public acclaim, or magnificence”
17th Century
English
éclat
“Brilliant success, reputation, or conspicuous distinction”
Modern English
English
éclat
“Dazzling distinction, acclaim, or impressive brilliance”