SPREZZATURA Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Featured Games Cultural Writing tips Dictionary.com Thesaurus.com Definition Explanation Examples sprezzatura American   [sprets-uh-toor-uh] / ˌsprɛts əˈtʊər ə / noun seemingly effortless grace in manner or careless stylishness in dress; casual charisma or allure. Explanation Sprezzatura is a kind of studied carelessness or seemingly effortless grace. Someone who always manages to look chic, even in their weekend clean-out-the-garage clothes, displays sprezzatura — they make it look easy to look good. The word sprezzatura is borrowed from Italian, and it dates back to the 1500s, during the Renaissance. It was used to describe a desirable quality amongst the nobles — making difficult things appear easy and acting in a cool, nonchalant manner. Today, the word is often used in the arts, especially in fashion, where it refers to a relaxed but stylish look that seems like you didn't really bother (but you did) — e.g., a partially untucked shirt, a slightly crooked tie, a fancy dress paired with sneakers. Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com Example Sentences Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com. See Examples For: sprezzatura As Greer states in his letter to readers, he intended to write a “charm novel,” and he has succeeded, con sprezzatura. From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026 His high-end, restrained tailoring was attracting mostly European customers who saw it as an Americanized version of sprezzatura, a studied nonchalance. From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2020 True genius was defined by a quality of sprezzatura, creating brilliant work without any toil. From Economist ● May 10, 2018 As Jacob Gallagher, men’s fashion editor of The Wall Street Journal, posted on Twitter recently, “Hygge is the wabi-sabi of 2016 which was the sprezzatura of 2015.” From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2016 No poet has created a world of larger and nobler images, designed with the sprezzatura of indifference to mere gracefulness, but all the more fascinating because of the artist's negligence. From Sketches and Studies in Italy and Greece, Third series by Symonds, John Addington Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023 Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Word of the Day conspectus [kuhn-spek-tuhs] Get the Word of the Day Over 500,000 expert-authored dictionary and thesaurus entries Entry list Careers Contact us Help Cookies, terms & privacy IXL Learning's Dictionary Media Group reaches over 500,000,000 learners each year Essential reference for synonyms and antonyms Adaptive learning for English vocabulary Fun daily word games English dictionary and learning for Spanish speakers Spanish-English dictionary, translator, and learning French-English dictionary, translator, and learning Immersive learning for 25 languages Comprehensive K-12 personalized learning Marketplace for millions of educator-created resources 35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans Fun educational games for kids Trusted tutors for 300+ subjects Math games and learning resources for kids © 2026 Dictionary Media Group, Inc., a division of IXL Learning by dictionary.com Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer. You'll remember them forever. Start training