Word Finder
What's the word for the feeling that you ve experienced something before?
The word you're looking for
Déjà vu is the feeling that you have experienced something before, even though you know it is new. It is the most common and exact word for this idea.
Other words that fit
Use this when you only mean something feels known, without the strange time-delay feeling.
Use this when you mean a memory is coming back, not the sudden feeling of reliving a moment.
Use this when you identify something as known, especially a place, face, or sound.
Why this word
The best word for this feeling is déjà vu. It is a borrowed French phrase used in English, and people use it very often. It describes the strange sense that a new moment has happened before. Do not confuse it with simple familiarity, which only means something seems known. In casual speech, people often say, “I had a déjà vu moment.”
In context
- I had déjà vu when I walked into that room.
- This street gives me déjà vu.
- Her speech felt like déjà vu.
Other concepts to find a word for
Frequently asked questions
- Is déjà vu a word or a phrase?
- It is a French phrase used as one English expression.
- Can I say 'I had a déjà vu'?
- People say it, but the more natural form is 'I had déjà vu.'
- What is the difference between déjà vu and familiarity?
- Déjà vu is the odd feeling of reliving a moment. Familiarity only means something seems known.