débrouillard

[ dey-broo-yar ]

adjective

1. skilled at adapting to any situation; resourceful.

noun

, plural dé·brouil·lards [dey-b, r, oo-, yar].

1. a resourceful person who can act independently or cope with any development.

Word History and Origins

Origin of débrouillard¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from French débrouiller “to disentangle” (from dé- de- ( def ) + brouiller “to make cloudy, confuse, quarrel”) + -ard -ard ( def ); embroil ( def )

Example Sentences

But us being both, let’s say, in French you say “débrouillard.”

From Los Angeles Times

According to Neuwirth, “D” stands for “debrouillard” a French word describing someone who is self-reliant.

From Forbes

We had an Italian friend, Count A., who went with us sometimes, and he was very débrouillard, made himself delightful at once to the fermière and got whatever he wanted—chairs and tables set out on the grass, with all the cows and colts and chickens walking about quite undisturbed by the unusual sights and sounds.

From Project Gutenberg