contretemps

noun

con·​tre·​temps ˈkän-trə-ˌtäⁿ  ˈkän-trə-ˌtän  kōⁿ-trə-ˈtäⁿ 

plural contretemps ˈkän-trə-(ˌ)täⁿ(z)  ˈkän-trə-ˌtänz 

1

: an inopportune or embarrassing occurrence or situation

2

: dispute, argument

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of contretemps

• quarrel
• altercation
• dispute
• controversy
• disagreement
• bicker
• argument
• fight
• imbroglio

Examples of contretemps in a Sentence

The senator dismissed his disagreement with the President as a minor contretemps.

there was a bit of a contretemps over the seating arrangements for the upcoming wedding

Recent Examples on the Web

Though Hollywood has been quick to publicly distance itself from all manner of scandal in recent years, the Netflix-Dave Chappelle contretemps may have changed the course of how high-profile companies handle intense outrage. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 9 Jan. 2023

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

To outsiders, the summer’s weeks-long contretemps over the prime minister’s after-hours activities might seem like a tempest in a Nordic teapot. —Michael Hunt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022

Word History

Etymology

French, from contre- counter- + temps time, from Latin tempus

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for contretemps

• temps

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