Bravura is a noun meaning a flourish of brilliant, virtuosic performance or style, often in music or public speaking. It connotes dazzling technical skill and dramatic display. The term emphasizes bold, masterful execution and showmanship that captures attention and admiration.
"The violinist delivered a bravura solo that drew standing ovations from the audience."
"Her bravura delivery in the speech left the crowd inspired and impressed."
"The pianist’s bravura passage required flawless timing and breath control."
"He answered with bravura confidence, turning the press conference into a showcase."
Bravura comes from Italian bravura, meaning ‘liveliness, audacity, courage, or boldness,’ which itself derives from bravura roots in Latin-based languages that express brave or bold action. The Italian term entered musical and artistic discourse in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe a display of virtuosity and bravado in performance. It parallels other performance-oriented words such as bravado and virtuosity, though bravura emphasizes the execution quality and dramatic flair rather than mere courage. The first known uses appear in critical discussions of orchestral and operatic performances where a performer’s virtuosity was described as ‘bravura’—a flourish that elevates a piece beyond technical accuracy to an emotionally charged, spectacular rendition. Over time, bravura broadened into general English usage to denote any showy, technically demanding display, not limited to music, but also in public speaking, dance, or athletic performance. In contemporary language, it often appears in reviews and program notes to signal a peak moment of artistry, characterizing both the performer and the style of the passage as exceptionally daring and technically accomplished.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bravura" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bravura"
-ura sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Bravura is pronounced with primary stress on the second syllable: brə-VYOO-rə. Break it into phonemes as /brəˈvjuːrə/. Start with /br/ as in bread, then /ə/ a quick schwa, then /ˈvjuː/ rhyming with 'you' and 'few', and finish with a light /rə/ (re). You’ll feel the mouth close for the /v/ + /j/ glide and then relax for the final schwa. For audio reference, listen to a clear, articulate performance critique or pronunciation guide and mimic the rhythm of emphasis on the second syllable.
Common errors: misplacing the stress on the first syllable (brə-VYOO-ra instead of brə-ˈvjuː-rə), flattening the /juː/ into a simple /ju/ or /juː/ not leading into the final schwa, and overemphasizing the final syllable. Correct by treating /ˈvjuː/ as a single stressed unit, pronounce the /r/ lightly, and finish with a relaxed /ə/. Practice with slow repetitions, focusing on keeping the second syllable prominent and the final /ə/ soft.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /brəˈvjuːrə/ remains similar, but rhoticity and vowel quality shift. US tends to maintain a stronger rhotic tie, with a slightly rounded /ə/ and a distinct /juː/ glide. UK often features a crisper /r/ only in rhotic accents and may have a lighter schwa. Australian English mirrors non-rhotic tendencies more, with a more centralized /ə/ and a slightly shorter /juː/. All share the primary stress on the second syllable, but vowel color and rhythm differ subtly by region.
The difficulty comes from the /ˈvjuː/ cluster, where a /v/ follows a soft schwa and blends into a /j/ glide, requiring precise lip and tongue motion. The /br/ onset also demands a quick coordination of bilabial /b/ and /r/. Finally, the trailing /rə/ can sound weak if you tense the jaw or over-articulate the final syllable. Focus on a clean /v/ + /j/ glide and a relaxed, short final /ə/.
Bravura features a notable /juː/ sequence after the /v/ that must glide smoothly into the /rə/ ending. The secondary stress pattern is less relevant than keeping the second syllable prominent. Also, the word ends with a schwa rather than a full vowel, so you should taper the final sound to a soft, neutral vowel. Practicing the two middle sounds /vjuː/ as a single unit helps capture the word’s characteristic flow.
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