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When contretemps first appeared in English in the 1600s, it did so in the context of fencing: a contretemps was a thrust or pass made at the wrong time, whether the wrongness of the time had to do with one’s lack of skill or an opponent’s proficiency. From the fencing bout contretemps slid gracefully onto the dance floor, a contretemps being a step danced on an unaccented beat. Both meanings are in keeping with the word’s French roots, contre- (meaning "counter") and temps (meaning "time"). (The word’s English pronunciation is also in keeping with those roots: \KAHN-truh-tahn\.) By the late 1700s, contretemps had proved itself useful outside of either activity by referring to any embarrassing or inconvenient mishap—something out of sync or rhythm with social conventions. The sense meaning "dispute" or "argument" arrived relatively recently, in the 20th century, perhaps coming from the idea that if you step on someone’s toes, literally or figuratively, a scuffle might ensue.
Examples of contretemps in a Sentence
Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 9 Jan. 2023
The Dallas visit avoided the contretemps of the Washington portion of the trip.
—Dallas News, 2 June 2022
Last year’s contretemps over submarines is just the latest example.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2022
Moore’s personal biography – despite these minor contretemps – proved more than compelling enough for Maryland voters.
—Peniel E. Joseph, CNN, 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for contretemps
Cite this Entry
“Contretemps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contretemps. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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