Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for double entendre. Search instead for double-entendres.
Synonyms

double entendre

American  
[duhb-uhl ahn-tahn-druh, -tahnd, doo-blahn-tahn-druh] / ˈdʌb əl ɑnˈtɑn drə, -ˈtɑnd, du blɑ̃ˈtɑ̃ drə /

noun

plural

double entendres

  1. a double meaning.

  2. a word or expression used in a given context so that it can be understood in two ways, especially when one meaning is risqué.

double entendre British  
/ dubl ɑ̃tɑ̃drə, ˈdʌbəl ɑːnˈtɑːndrə, -ˈtɑːnd /

noun

  1. a word, phrase, etc, that can be interpreted in two ways, esp one having one meaning that is indelicate

  2. the type of humour that depends upon such ambiguity

"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
double-entendre Cultural  

  1. A word or expression that has two different meanings (in French, double-entendre means “double meaning”), one of which is often bawdy or indelicate. A double-entendre is found in this sentence: “A nudist camp is simply a place where men and women meet to air their differences.”

Usage

What else does double entendre mean? A double entendre is a word or expression that can be understood in two ways, especially when one meaning is risqué. If you've ever cracked a that's what she said joke, you've created a double entendre.

Etymology

Origin of double entendre

From obsolete French, dating back to 1665–75; see origin at double, intend

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.

The series’ title is a meta double entendre referencing the strife we put ourselves through just trying to keep up appearances, as well as Skinner’s creative style.

From Salon • May 17, 2025

“I mean, it has to fit with secular society. It’s got to have some double entendre about the Gospel.”

From Washington Times • Aug. 18, 2023

The operative literary device is the double entendre.

From New York Times • May 11, 2023

“I think Suga is a bit more Lennon — more explicit in his antiestablishment sensibilities. ‘Haegeum’ is a double entendre of a traditional Korean string instrument and wordplay on ‘liberation from restrictions.’

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2023

Afterward, they regroup in the living room for board games and goofy improvisation contests, all free of profanity and even double entendre.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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.