Noir Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

noir

1 of 2

noun

1
: crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings
an example of classic noir
2
: film noir
a comedy dressed in the trappings of an edgy noir
noirish adjective

noir

2 of 2

adjective

: having a bleak and darkly cynical quality of the kind associated with hard-boiled crime fiction and film noir
a noir thriller
In this boldly styled first novel, Komarnicki follows a 30-year-old homeless man on a noir odyssey of death and survival through the streets of New Orleans and Hong Kong.Sybil S. Steinberg
The plot of this violent fairy tale is as noir and nasty as the characters.Marilyn Stasio

Examples of noir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Oh, and also there’s some dramatized noir crime fiction. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Ivan Reitman Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt Curtis Hanson’s sprawling noir homage, based on James Ellroy’s wonderful novel, follows three cops (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey) tasked with solving a murder in the heart of Los Angeles. EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 It’s definitely got the noir aspect to it thanks to the weather. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Pinot noir is spiced with about 15 percent gamay to yield a light-bodied red that sings with cherry, blackberry and spice, lingering through a long finish. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Riddled with dark alleys, corrupt elements, and conspiracies, the winding Tupac murder investigation remains a noir mystery for a new generation that still threatens to embarrass law enforcement. John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2024 This genre, also known as Nordic noir, is characterized by its blend of crime fiction with social commentary and psychological depth, set against the backdrop of the often bleak and desolate locations of the Nordic countries out of the tourist season. David Nikel, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Spanish novelist Dolores Redondo’s noir Baztán Trilogy was optioned based on the first book — before publication, and before the next two installments were even written, according to Soler-Pont. Jennifer Green, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 Part world building, part detective noir, part savage critique of our country’s (real) history, Spufford builds his creation on the foundations of a real place that grew, thrived and then vanished. Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Adjective
From there, the film goes off the rails in a noir-ish third act as both Jack and Babbette are sent over the edge and driven to acts of desperation. Joey Morona, cleveland, 29 Nov. 2022 There are a lot of familiar genre elements, in terms of neo-noir detective stories, as well as classic vigilante superhero stories. Hazlitt, 21 July 2022 Back in June, it was announced that Chucky season 2 will feature a reunion of Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, and Joe Pantoliano, the three principal actors from the 1996 neo-noir Bound. Clark Collis, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2022 But the familiar noir trappings of this thriller about a detective (Park Hae-il) clouded by his attraction to a murder suspect (Tang Wei) disguise the subversions and emotional complications of the twisty plot. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 15 Dec. 2022 Exiled from law enforcement, like many a noir protagonist, Nate must find an alternative route to justice for himself and his community. Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'noir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for film noir

First Known Use

Noun

1977, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of noir was in 1958

Dictionary Entries Near noir

Cite this Entry

“Noir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noir. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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