masterpiece en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmæstɚˌpis/ (General-American)
- /ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From master + piece, a calque of Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstück (“masterpiece”). Piecewise doublet of maestropiece and masterstick. Compare also journeyman's piece.
Meanings
-
A piece of work that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career.
The design, when finally developed, was a slight disappointment to Monsieur Deplis, who had suspected Icarus of being a fortress taken by Wallenstein in the Thirty Years' War, but he was more than satisfied with the execution of the work, which was acclaimed by all who had the privilege of seeing it as Pincini's masterpiece.
1911, Saki, The Chronicles of Clovis:
-
A work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship.
It was replaced by a New Euston, "bold in design and layout and in keeping with a new railway era". Betjeman was unmoved, describing it tersely as "no masterpiece" and noting that its lack of platform seating made it an "inhuman structure" which seemed to ignore passengers.
2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 45:“‘Man is amazing, but he is not a masterpiece,’ he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the glass case. ‘Perhaps the artist was a little mad. […]’
1899 September – 1900 July, Joseph Conrad, chapter XX, in Lord Jim: A Tale, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1900, →OCLC, page 221:Masterpieces are not completed, they are abandoned.
It would hardly be an overstatement to describe Drummond's next design as an outstanding British locomotive class, and possibly his masterpiece.
1951 November, David R. Webb, “The Drummond 4-4-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 774:
- A work created in order to qualify as a master craftsman and member of a guild.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| master-piece | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| masterpieces | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Relateds
masterwork · genius · chef d'œuvre · mistresspiece
Synonyms
chef d'œuvre · masterwork · magnum opus · masterpiece · work of art · pièce de résistance
Translations (90)
hi शहकार (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl majstersztyk (work created in order to qualify as a master craftsman and member of a guild) · fa شاهاثر (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · fi mestariteos (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · yi מײַסטערווערק (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · is meistaraverk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ko 걸작 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ja 名作 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · eo majstroverko (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cmn 名作 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · eo ĉefverko (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · sh remek-delo (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · hu remekmű (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · mn ᠰᠢᠯᠢᠳᠡᠭ ᠪᠦᠲᠦᠭᠡᠯ (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · chr ᏭᏓᎪᎾᏛᏛ (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · la palmārium (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · hi शाहकार (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ar رَائِعَة (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · fr chef-d'œuvre (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · nl meesterwerk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · afb تحفة (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · rsk ремек-дїло (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · la palmārium (An outstanding piece of work) · mi mounga (An outstanding piece of work) · ro capodoperă (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl majstersztyk (An outstanding piece of work) · mk ремек-дело (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cmn 傑作 /杰作 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · el αριστούργημα (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ab а́даздам (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · de Meisterwerk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ru шеде́вр (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl arcydzieło (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pdt Meistawoakj (An outstanding piece of work) · vi kiệt tác (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · be шэдэ́ўр (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ja 傑作 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ar تُحْفَة (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · no mesterverk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · no mesterstykke (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · mn шилдэг бүтээл (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · fa شاهکار (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · io maestroverko (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · sh ремек-дело (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · bg шедьо́вър (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cy gorchestwaith (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · zza şaheser (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · sq kryevepër (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cy campwaith (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · da mesterværk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · mi mounga (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ab ашеде́вр (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · id mahakarya (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ab зда́ҟам (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · it capolavoro (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ca obra mestra (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · gv ard-obbyr (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · es obra maestra (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · sv mästerverk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · it capodopera (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · gd annas-làimhe (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · gl obra mestra (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · la magnum opus (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl poemat (An outstanding piece of work) · tr şaheser (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · tg шоҳкор (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · tg шоҳасар (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · km ស្នាដៃឯក (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl doskonałość (An outstanding piece of work) · hy գլուխգործոց (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · hi शहपारा (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · eu maisulan (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · tl likhang-guro (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · gd annas-làimhe (An outstanding piece of work) · pl arcydzieło (An outstanding piece of work) · ab алԥшаа́х (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · de Meisterstück (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · nl meesterproef (work created in order to qualify as a master craftsman and member of a guild) · nl meesterwerk (An outstanding piece of work) · tl akdang-guro (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl doskonałość (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cs mistrovské dílo (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · he יְצִירַת מוֹפֵת (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pt obra-prima (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · cs majstrštyk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · hi शाहपारा (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · ko 명작 (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · uk шеде́вр (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · pl majstersztyk (piece of work that has been given much critical praise) · sl mojstrovina (piece of work that has been given much critical praise)