noun · verb · 3 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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dā'-zhä-vo͞oʹ
/ˌdeɪ.ʒɑː ˈvuː/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The subjective, unexpected feeling of having experienced something before, especially when that is not the case.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Loosely or humorously, anything one has done before or is being repeated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
Have I done this before? Talk about déjà vu.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To experience déjà vu; to see (something) as though having seen it before.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French déjà vu (literally “already seen”), coined by Émile Boirac in Revue philosophique de la France et de l'étranger, 1876.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
دِيجَا ڤُو
(deja vū)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Arabic:
ديجافو
(dējāfū, dējāvū)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Azerbaijani:
dejavü
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Chinese Mandarin:
既視感 /既视感
(jìshìgǎn)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Chinese Mandarin:
似曾相識 /似曾相识
(sìcéngxiāngshí)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Danish:
deja-vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Dutch:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Esperanto:
deĵavuo
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Finnish:
déjà-vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Finnish:
entiselämys
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
French:
déjà-vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Galician:
xa visto
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
German:
Déjà-vu-Erlebnis
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Greek:
προμνησία
(promnisía)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Greek:
ντεζά βυ
(ntezá vy)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Hebrew:
דז׳ה וו
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Icelandic:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Japanese:
既視感
(kishikan)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Japanese:
デジャヴュ
(dejavyu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Japanese:
デジャヴ
(dejavu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Japanese:
デジャブ
(dejabu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Japanese:
デジャビュ
(dejabyu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Korean:
데자뷔
(dejabwi)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Korean:
데자뷰
(dejabyu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Korean:
기시감
(gisigam)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Norwegian Bokmål:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Norwegian Nynorsk:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Occitan:
dejà vist
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Persian:
دژاوو
(dežâvu)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Polish:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Portuguese:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Russian:
дежавю́
(dežavjú)
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Spanish:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Spanish:
dejavú
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Swedish:
déjà vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Swedish:
deja vu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Turkish:
dejavu
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
Turkish:
dejavü
— something which one has or suspects to have seen or experienced before
