noir
1 of 2noun
ˈnwär 
1
: crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings
an example of classic noir
2
: film noir
a comedy dressed in the trappings of an edgy noir
noirish
ˈnwär-ish
adjective noir
2 of 2adjective
: having a bleak and darkly cynical quality of the kind associated with hard-boiled crime fiction and film noir
a noir thriller
In this boldly styled first novel, Komarnicki follows a 30-year-old homeless man on a noir odyssey of death and survival through the streets of New Orleans and Hong Kong.
Sybil S. Steinberg
Sybil S. SteinbergThe plot of this violent fairy tale is as noir and nasty as the characters. Marilyn Stasio
Marilyn Stasio
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Jessica Liese, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 Then the world became even more hooked on Nordic noir following a trio of Scandi exports—also in 2011, when The Killing was remade in the US starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman; Borgen and The Bridge. Ali Pantony, Glamour, 12 June 2022 In this gritty noir, two men from different walks of life face their families and destinies – all on the dusty floor of an underground fighting ring. Marta Balaga, Variety, 1 July 2022 This Nordic noir has Swedish and Danish productions combining forces for a gripping drama about a body found on the Danish and Swedish border. Milan Polk, Men's Health, 17 June 2022 Like any good noir, the vehicle of the plot is the murders and the mystery. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2022 There’s a very poignant, very raw scene in Steve McQueen’s erotic noir that illustrates just this. Deanna Janes, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 May 2022 There’s enough there to justify labeling it a crime story, a Persian noir. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2022 Some of the lingo in the tale, a comic noir set mostly in the 1940s, comes directly from the books and movies of that era. Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, 17 May 2022 Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2022 The noir backdrop is the perfect platform for the rose gold flourishes which offer a stealth dose of flash. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2022 Blacksad: Under the Skin (Mac, NS, PC, PS, XB) Blacksad is a comic book about John Blacksad, a hard-boiled detective in a 1950s-era noir world. Will Greenwald, PCMAG, 27 July 2022 The first John Wick grossed more than $88 million worldwide for a film that cost around $30 million to make, and it was praised for its brisk pace, heart-stopping action sequences, and stylish noir feel. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 July 2022 Legendary Television’s roster includes the reboot of Lost in Space for Netflix, and fantasy noir Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, for Amazon, among others. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 July 2022 Wesley Snipes joins his co-creators Adam Lawson (The Kill Journal, Escape the Night), and Keith Arem (Ascend, Dead Speed) to discuss the new comic and crafting a sci-fi noir tale. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2022 The aesthetic is pitch-perfect for the noir-y tale Spielberg is telling. David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 June 2022 Peter Five Eight, a noir drama with Spacey’s first starring role since his career came to a halt in 2017, screened out-of-competition at Cannes. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2022 See More
Noun
Although not every episode in the series rises to the same levels of experimentation, each one at least dips into a different genre: there’s zombie-apocalypse noir, zombie-apocalypse gothic horror. Jessica Liese, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 Then the world became even more hooked on Nordic noir following a trio of Scandi exports—also in 2011, when The Killing was remade in the US starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman; Borgen and The Bridge. Ali Pantony, Glamour, 12 June 2022 In this gritty noir, two men from different walks of life face their families and destinies – all on the dusty floor of an underground fighting ring. Marta Balaga, Variety, 1 July 2022 This Nordic noir has Swedish and Danish productions combining forces for a gripping drama about a body found on the Danish and Swedish border. Milan Polk, Men's Health, 17 June 2022 Like any good noir, the vehicle of the plot is the murders and the mystery. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2022 There’s a very poignant, very raw scene in Steve McQueen’s erotic noir that illustrates just this. Deanna Janes, Harper's BAZAAR, 25 May 2022 There’s enough there to justify labeling it a crime story, a Persian noir. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2022 Some of the lingo in the tale, a comic noir set mostly in the 1940s, comes directly from the books and movies of that era. Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, 17 May 2022 Adjective
His sci-fi/noir hybrid Alphaville, which doubles as an examination of dehumanization and spiritual desolation, anticipated later genre mash-ups such as Blade Runner. Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2022 The noir backdrop is the perfect platform for the rose gold flourishes which offer a stealth dose of flash. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2022 Blacksad: Under the Skin (Mac, NS, PC, PS, XB) Blacksad is a comic book about John Blacksad, a hard-boiled detective in a 1950s-era noir world. Will Greenwald, PCMAG, 27 July 2022 The first John Wick grossed more than $88 million worldwide for a film that cost around $30 million to make, and it was praised for its brisk pace, heart-stopping action sequences, and stylish noir feel. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 July 2022 Legendary Television’s roster includes the reboot of Lost in Space for Netflix, and fantasy noir Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, for Amazon, among others. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 July 2022 Wesley Snipes joins his co-creators Adam Lawson (The Kill Journal, Escape the Night), and Keith Arem (Ascend, Dead Speed) to discuss the new comic and crafting a sci-fi noir tale. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2022 The aesthetic is pitch-perfect for the noir-y tale Spielberg is telling. David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 June 2022 Peter Five Eight, a noir drama with Spacey’s first starring role since his career came to a halt in 2017, screened out-of-competition at Cannes. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
short for film noir
First Known Use
Noun
1977, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1958, in the meaning defined above