film noir

American

[nwahr] / nwɑr /

noun

a motion picture with an often grim urban setting, photographed in somber tones and permeated by a feeling of disillusionment, pessimism, and despair.

film noir British

/ nwɑː /

noun

a gangster thriller, made esp in the 1940s in Hollywood characterized by contrasty lighting and often somewhat impenetrable plots

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of film noir

1955–60; < French: literally, black film

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.

Smoking in a raffish suit like a film noir baddie with a shock of red hair ready to torch the world, Noble’s Richard employs a dusky, ironic voice to flaying effect.

From Los Angeles Times

Having named the genre, the French can claim a special connection to that loose collection of cinematic tropes we call film noir.

From The Wall Street Journal

The track could score a film noir sequence, its narrative betraying months of romantic turmoil.

From Los Angeles Times

Dark film noir compositions alternate with bright sunny street scenes.

From Los Angeles Times

But the film noir lighting on Anderson’s eyes is spot-on, as are two sight gags that are built around the set’s extreme shadows.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023