Fanfare

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Fanfare

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

FAN-fair  /ˈfanfɛː/

Definition

A short ceremonial tune or flourish played, typically on brass instruments, to announce a significant arrival or event. Also: an ostentatious display or elaborate ceremony.

Plain meaning

A dramatic trumpet call announcing something important — and, more broadly, any exaggerated fuss or ceremony around a launch or arrival.

Register

Neutral to slightly ironic. The musical sense is formal; the figurative sense often carries mild scepticism about excessive ceremony.