élan

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree French élanbor. English élan Borrowed from French élan.

1. Spirit; zeal; ardor.

   “Sam, carried away by the élan of the performance, was unable to resist joining them.”

   “The goal of the Cultural Revolution was to radicalize the whole society, to create mass participation at all levels of decision-making, and to restore the revolutionary élan of the 1940s.”

2. Grace; style (especially apparently effortless).

   “Mary Ellen had never seen any woman, with the exception of Abigail, take such an active role in the company of men, though Abigail did it with élan and never directly or conspicuously.”

   “Despite [the] Holmesian frame story, the overall voice of the series is fresh and original, Horowitz writing with the effortless élan that distinguishes all of his work.”