manque

¹

[ mahnk ]

noun

, French.

1. the numbers 1 to 18 in roulette.

manqué

²

[ mahng-key; French mahn-key ]

adjective

1. having failed, missed, or fallen short, especially because of circumstances or a defect of character; unsuccessful; unfulfilled or frustrated (usually used postpositively):

   a poet manqué who never produced a single book of verse.

manqué

/ ˈmɒŋkeɪ; mɑ̃ke /

adjective

1. postpositive unfulfilled; potential; would-be

   the manager is an actor manqué

Word History and Origins

Origin of manque¹

Literally, “lack”

Origin of manque²

1770–80; < French, past participle of manquer to lack, be short of < Italian mancare, derivative of manco lacking, defective < Medieval Latin, Late Latin mancus ( Latin: feeble, literally, maimed, having a useless hand, probably derivative of manus hand)

Word History and Origins

Origin of manque¹

C19: literally: having missed

Example Sentences

Rachel Brosnahan plays his wife, Iris, an actress manqué whose greatest feat of performance has been shaping herself into what he wants her to be.

From New York Times

An artistic child who comes of age in the 1950s, she morphs into an unhappy woman — a rebel manqué descended into substance abuse.

From New York Times

An artist manque, she maintains that her particular skill is to recognize and nurture talent.

From New York Times

It was a manque version of the hypertheatricality that elevated the band out of scene notoriety to pop ubiquity.

From New York Times

The book tells the story of Viktor Zolotaryov, a novelist manqué in post-Soviet Kyiv who finds work writing obituaries for a local newspaper.

From New York Times