In Italian, sprezzatura means "scorn, or contempt."

The word took on a new twist in 1528, in Baldesar Castiglione's Book of the Courtier. Castiglione used it to mean "nonchalance: a graceful, genuine, unstudied, unaffected attitude of not even trying." Rather than copying the cool things that other people do, he advised, we should just do what we naturally do, and try to make it look effortless.

I'm paraphrasing, of course. Here's what he actually wrote, translated into English: "I find one universal rule... to practise in everything a certain nonchalance* that shall conceal design and show that what is done and said is done without effort and almost without thought."

*In his native Italian, instead of "nonchalance," he wrote sprezzatura.

Castiglione's book was popular, and sprezzatura became a compliment. A performer with sprezzatura had a certain effortless grace and authenticity: an ability to perform with complete ease, as if scorning any affectations. 

Which is a really fantastic quality, and a fantastic-sounding word. So it's no surprise that we adopted it into English. We've used it since 1957 or so, and although you'll find it in English dictionaries, it's still pretty rare.

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable known: "He's known for his sprezzatura;" "She displays sprezzatura."

Other forms: 

None.

how to use it:

Pick the rare, fancy, fun-to-say word "sprezzatura" when you want to compliment some performer or creator for the ease and talent with which they impress you, all while seemingly not even trying or caring.

You might say that someone sings, paints, writes, dances, or cooks with sprezzatura.

Or branch out: say that someone recites their poetry with sprezzatura, or streams on Twitch with sprezzatura, or banters with talk show hosts with sprezzatura, or mixes paint at Home Depot with sprezzatura. Go wild! Just make sure you're describing a blend of art, skill, talent, and absolutely zero self-consciousness. 

examples:

"She exuded a cool girl's sprezzatura, style as nonchalance. Mumbling a little, Eilish wheeled around the stage, like a spinning top."
   — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 26 April 2019

"The War Against Cliche -- a somewhat clunky title, but apt -- showcases Amis the reviewer and essayist. Right off, one notices the literary and cultural sprezzatura."
   —Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 16 December 2001

has this page helped you understand "sprezzatura"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "sprezzatura" without saying "nonchalance" or "self-possession."

try it out:

Reviewing an Italian restaurant in the New Yorker, Nick Paumgarten wrote, "Amid all the simulacra—the editions of Corriere della Sera hanging near the door, the rows of Chianti bottles lining the walls—the one key ingredient that seems to be missing is the artful artlessness known as sprezzatura. Contrivance is everywhere."

First, see if you can explain what he means by complaining that the restaurant lacks sprezzatura. Then, talk about why sprezzatura does or doesn't matter to you when you're enjoying a meal in a restaurant.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for March: it's the Inkhorn Stinkhorn!

It’s inspired by the Twofer Goofer, created by Collin Waldoch, in which you're given a circumlocutory clue, like "An eater with an excessive appetite for clothes fasteners," and you provide a rhyming answer, in this case "button glutton." You're then treated to an AI-generated rendering of the goofy concept you just named. In general in the Twofer Goofer, the words are straightforward and the AI art is lovely.

But here in the Inkhorn Stinkhorn, the words are pedantic and the AI art is atrocious. Enjoy! 

Try this one today: Name a two-word rhyming phrase that means "A soggy field of rice tended by confident men in expensive suits."

Clue #1: To reveal the first letter of each word, highlight the following text… z____ p____

Clue #2: To reveal one of the words, highlight the following text… z____ paddy

For the answer, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. The opposite of SPREZZATURA is

A. LUCUBRATION: the act of studying late at night.
B. AFFECTATION: a pretense, a false display, or an effortful act.
C. VITUPERATION: the use of harsh, mean words to criticize people or things.

2. In the Chicago Tribune, a colleague praised the recently deceased musician Howard M. Brown, saying that he embodied sprezzatura, "_____."

A. a devotion to making fine music egalitarian, accessible by all
B. an easygoing elegance and complete comfort with everything he did
C. a deep sense of discipline and devotion to academic musicology, attested by his hundreds of publications

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B Answer to the game question: Zaddy paddy.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.