faux pas

noun

ˈfō-ˌpä 

fō-ˈpä

plural faux pas ˈfō-ˌpä(z) 

fō-ˈpä(z)

: a significant or embarrassing error or mistake : blunder

Long, hot soaks in winter are a classic faux pas, since exposure to extreme heat after having been in the cold can cause small visible blood vessels to appear at the skin's surface.

—Elle

especially : a socially awkward or improper act or remark

Audiences must be supportive and enthusiastic—lots of clapping, no heckling. (And talking on cellphones during the performance is a huge faux pas).

—Claudine Ise

… when I sauntered into the main dining room for my first breakfast, I realized I was the only person showing his legs. Careless faux pas, or was I being overly sensitive to the local culture?

—David Swanson

Campaigning last year seemed to convince her that she can venture out alone without making costly faux pas.

—Time Magazine

It was not until I'd covered about fifty kilometers that I committed my most terrible social faux pas yet: I overtook another cyclist.

—Polly Evans

Synonyms

• familiarity
• gaff
• gaffe
• impropriety
• indiscretion
• solecism

Examples of faux pas in a Sentence

Arriving too early would be a serious faux pas.

according to an oft-told story, the queen set a guest at ease about a faux pas by politely imitating it

Recent Examples on the Web

Minaj recovered from the faux pas (after her first attempt at covering herself) but jokingly blamed her fans for the mishap. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024

The FaceTime faux pas occurred after her daughter, Finty Williams, encouraged her to call fellow actor Christopher Logan to wish him a happy birthday. —EW.com, 22 Nov. 2023

But from the pageantry of the tropical getaway, accusations of the trip being tone-deaf coupled with the memory of Tarte’s past faux pas have created a massive discussion online. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024

And the main thing to understand about it, in the context of Fridman’s nerdy koan, is this: For any self-respecting programmer, admitting to actually liking JavaScript is something of a faux pas—much like an art-house filmmaker confessing to Marvel fandom. —Sheon Han, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024

An ex-Meta recruiter weighs in on her biggest job interview faux pas. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

The fashion faux pas bothered Beverly who takes up the issue with the juror in a quiet alcove. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023

Hardcore is not an exact science, but that’s never stopped fans from arguing over faux pas and which unspoken rules are being broken. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2023

Just as designers frown upon all square furniture in a room, all round is just as big a faux pas. —Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, false step

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above