Phrase guide

crème de la crème

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Best of the best; something superlative; the very best.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, singular, singular-only, uncountable

Examples

  • To be an astronaut you must be the crème de la crème.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: best of the best, cream of the crop, pick of the crop

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French crème de la crème (literally “cream of the cream”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: creme de la creme — best of the best
  • Dutch: crème de la crème — best of the best
  • Finnish: kerma — best of the best
  • Finnish: parhaimmisto — best of the best
  • French: crème de la crème — best of the best
  • French: top du top — best of the best
  • French: fin du fin — best of the best
  • French: fine fleur — best of the best
  • French: nec plus ultra — best of the best
  • German: Crème de la Crème — best of the best
  • Indonesian: crème de la crème — best of the best
  • Norwegian: crème de la crème — best of the best
  • Norwegian: kremen av kremen — best of the best
  • Norwegian: der oppe — best of the best
  • Polish: śmietanka — best of the best
  • Portuguese: nata da sociedade — best of the best
  • Spanish: lo mejor de lo mejor — best of the best
  • Spanish: flor y nata — best of the best
  • Spanish: crem de la crem — best of the best
  • Swedish: gräddan — best of the best