bravura
bravura — adjective
- bravurapositive
- more bravuracomparative
- most bravurasuperlative
1. describing a performance or creative work that is done with impressive technical
describing a performance or creative work that is done with impressive technical ability and a confident, eye-catching style.
Layla's bravura piano solo brought the audience to their feet at the concert hall.
bravura + solo / performance — attributive adjective
The director praised Aoi for her bravura handling of the play's hardest scene.
bravura + gerund (handling)
João gave a bravura display of juggling that amazed the children at the festival.
Greta's bravura dance routine left the judges searching for words to describe it.
- virtuoso
focuses on the performer's supreme skill rather than the showy effect
- dazzling
emphasises the visual or sensory impact more than the technical difficulty
- show-stopping
informal; suggests the performance is so impressive it interrupts the show with applause
- mediocre
average or unremarkable in quality, the opposite of impressive skill
文法句型
bravura + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — placed before the noun it modifies (a bravura performance, not ✗ the performance was bravura).
常見錯誤
bravura — noun
- bravurasingular
- bravurasplural
1. the impressive technical ability and confident, bold style shown by a performer
the impressive technical ability and confident, bold style shown by a performer or artist in their work.
Megan played the violin passage with astonishing bravura and emotional depth.
with + bravura (manner adverbial)
The young cellist's bravura surprised even the most demanding teachers at the conservatory.
Kemi painted with such bravura that her portraits seemed to glow on the gallery wall.
Nadia's bravura during the fencing match earned her a standing ovation from the crowd.
- virtuosity
more formal; highlights supreme technical mastery rather than bold flair
- panache
emphasises stylish confidence and flair more than raw technical skill
- brilliance
broader term that can apply to intellectual or creative work, not just performance
- mediocrity
average or undistinguished quality
文法句型
with + bravura
display + bravura
用法筆記
Uncountable — cannot be used with 'a' (✗ a bravura) in this sense. Often follows the preposition 'with' (with bravura) or possessive determiners (his bravura, the pianist's bravura).
常見錯誤
2. a section of a musical composition written to be extremely difficult to perform,
a section of a musical composition written to be extremely difficult to perform, intended to show off the performer's technical skill.
The final movement contains a bravura for the solo trumpet that lasts three minutes.
a bravura + for + [instrument]
Leo spent months practising the bravura in the second concerto before the audition.
Yael could hear the orchestra struggle with the demanding bravura during the rehearsal.
The conductor chose a bravura from a little-known Romantic symphony for the grand finale.
文法句型
a + bravura + for + [instrument]
play + a + bravura
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific passage (a bravura, several bravuras); uncountable when used as a general quality (the piece is full of bravura). Distinguish from noun sense 1, which names a quality — this sense names a specific section of music.