Meaning & use
duende
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Meanings
noununcountableliterary
A quality of intense passion, mystery, and emotional power, especially in Spanish flamenco music and dance.
Grammar: Usually uncountable and used with the: the duende of her performance. Sometimes countable when referring to a particular instance.
Patterns
- the duende of something
- have duende
- a performance full of duende
The singer's performance had a raw duende that moved the audience to tears.
Critics praised the dancer for the duende she brought to every step.
His poetry is full of duende, a dark and passionate energy.
nouncountableregional
In Spanish folklore, a mischievous goblin or elf-like creature.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is duendes. Often used in stories about Spanish or Latin American folklore.
Patterns
- a duende
- duendes (plural)
In the old tales, duendes were said to hide in houses and play tricks on children.
The village grandmother warned that duendes would steal small objects left outside.
The museum exhibit featured masks and figures of duendes from Spanish folklore.
Word forms
| plural | duendes |
|---|
Common combinations
- full of duende
- Her guitar playing was full of duende, haunting and alive.
- a touch of duende
- Even a simple song can have a touch of duende if sung with real feeling.
- the duende of flamenco
- Scholars have tried for years to define the duende of flamenco.
Synonyms and how they differ
- soul
- Soul refers to deep feeling or spirit in general; duende is more specific to Spanish artistic tradition and suggests a mysterious, almost magical intensity.
- charisma
- Charisma is a personal charm that attracts others; duende is an artistic quality that moves an audience emotionally, not necessarily through charm.
Commonly confused: duende or duende (Spanish goblin)?
duende vs duende (Spanish goblin)
The same word has two meanings: the artistic quality and the folkloric creature. Context makes clear which one is meant.
Practice
In which context would you most likely use the word 'duende'?
Choose one answer.
Duende refers to a passionate, mysterious quality in Spanish art, especially flamenco. It does not fit scientific, business, or cooking contexts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “duende”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.