déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü 
-ˈvᵫ
-ˈvᵫ
1
a
: the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time
b
: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
Despite a blond, swept-back mane all his own, Fonda looks startlingly like his father, Henry … . He even moves like his father, only dispelling the eerie feeling of déjà vu when he opens his mouth.—
Peter Biskind
Peter Biskind2
: something overly or unpleasantly familiar
The team's poor start to the season was déjà vu for its long-suffering fans.
Examples of déjà vu in a Sentence
I entered the room and immediately felt a sense of déjà vu.
When the car broke down again, it was déjà vu.
The rise in housing costs is déjà vu all over again.
Recent Examples on the Web
Advertisement Given his team’s recent postseason fortunes, the result also felt like some October deja vu.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
For people who sat out 2023 hoping for a better market this year, purchasing a home this spring will be more like deja vu instead, with expensive homes and high mortgage rates similar to last year.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Martin Scorsese fans might have experienced a bit of deja vu afterVariety exclusively reported that a Frank Sinatra biopic is one of two films the Oscar-winning director is planning to shoot back to back.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Surfacing from the book’s pages into its real world setting evoked an eerie sense of deja vu, with the city’s modern self lightly superimposed over the historic landmarks that fill a reader’s imagination.
—Amber Turpin, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024
Kansas can’t defend the long ball Kansas fans may feel a sense of deja vu.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024
Balancing all of those worlds kind of feels like deja vu.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024
But Wednesday’s scene was deja vu for a House Republican majority that’s repeatedly struggled to coalesce on spending issues.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024
While this may all sound distinctly new and unique to part-time horror fans, aficionados of the genre may feel a rather strong sense of deja vu.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2023
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
For people who sat out 2023 hoping for a better market this year, purchasing a home this spring will be more like deja vu instead, with expensive homes and high mortgage rates similar to last year.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Martin Scorsese fans might have experienced a bit of deja vu afterVariety exclusively reported that a Frank Sinatra biopic is one of two films the Oscar-winning director is planning to shoot back to back.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Surfacing from the book’s pages into its real world setting evoked an eerie sense of deja vu, with the city’s modern self lightly superimposed over the historic landmarks that fill a reader’s imagination.
—Amber Turpin, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024
Kansas can’t defend the long ball Kansas fans may feel a sense of deja vu.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024
Balancing all of those worlds kind of feels like deja vu.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Feb. 2024
But Wednesday’s scene was deja vu for a House Republican majority that’s repeatedly struggled to coalesce on spending issues.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024
While this may all sound distinctly new and unique to part-time horror fans, aficionados of the genre may feel a rather strong sense of deja vu.
—Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'déjà vu.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near déjà vu
Cite this Entry
“Déjà vu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü
-ˈvᵫ̅
: a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
Etymology
French, literally, "already seen"
Medical Definition
déjà vu
noun
dé·jà vu
ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈv(y)ü, dā-zhȧ-vᵫ̅
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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