plural bons mots
bōⁿ-ˈmō(z) 
or bon mots
bōⁿ-ˈmō(z)
or bon mots
bōⁿ-ˈmō(z)
: a clever remark : witticism
his bons mots were being repeated … from coast to coast—
W. J. Fisher
W. J. Fisher
Examples of bon mot in a Sentence
She had a sparkling bon mot for every occasion.
Recent Examples on the Web
The character never has to search long for a bon mot.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023
Only Matt Smith’s Daemon and maybe Eve Best’s Princess Rhaenys (at least in the season’s penultimate episode) seem capable of getting the joke or dropping a bon mot.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
One is reminded of Balzac’s bon mot that behind every great fortune lies a great crime.
—Brian P. Kelly, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022
But her encounters with the queen of the bon mot weren’t the point.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
In one conspicuous sense, though, the bon mot—or perhaps mal mot—elicited by Vinson’s death clashes with the dominant perception of Frankfurter.
—Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022
The affable Democrat from Kentucky will hold court with gaggles of reporters during votes, frequently offering several minutes of extended analysis of the state of play for the Democratic agenda, peppered with the occasional bon mot.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2021
Depending on his place in the hierarchy, any one of the guests would be expected to rise and disgorge a brief, bon mot–studded toast.
—TheWeek, 17 May 2020
But during the creation process, some bon mots were just too good for this world, and died nobly on the cutting room floor.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2020
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Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023
Only Matt Smith’s Daemon and maybe Eve Best’s Princess Rhaenys (at least in the season’s penultimate episode) seem capable of getting the joke or dropping a bon mot.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
One is reminded of Balzac’s bon mot that behind every great fortune lies a great crime.
—Brian P. Kelly, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022
But her encounters with the queen of the bon mot weren’t the point.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
In one conspicuous sense, though, the bon mot—or perhaps mal mot—elicited by Vinson’s death clashes with the dominant perception of Frankfurter.
—Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022
The affable Democrat from Kentucky will hold court with gaggles of reporters during votes, frequently offering several minutes of extended analysis of the state of play for the Democratic agenda, peppered with the occasional bon mot.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2021
Depending on his place in the hierarchy, any one of the guests would be expected to rise and disgorge a brief, bon mot–studded toast.
—TheWeek, 17 May 2020
But during the creation process, some bon mots were just too good for this world, and died nobly on the cutting room floor.
—Dan Snierson, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bon mot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French, literally, good word
First Known Use
1713, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near bon mot
Cite this Entry
“Bon mot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20mot. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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