gaffe

noun

1
: a social or diplomatic blunder
committed an embarrassing gaffe when he mispronounced her name
2
: a noticeable mistake
Kwan did not fall today, as she had in Friday's short program, a gaffe that left her in fourth place.Christopher Clarey

Examples of gaffe in a Sentence

He realized that he had committed an awful gaffe when he mispronounced her name. committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Smart and well-timed, but a gaffe nonetheless. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025 In 2024, then-President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid after a series of gaffes and a poor debate performance raised concerns about his cognitive state. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 Melvin’s co-hosts also shared some of their own on-air gaffes, including Daly, 52, who had a story that left him feeling embarrassed. Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 The New York City mayoral debate went by largely without incident, ending hopes from Zohran Mamdani’s opponents of a major gaffe that could dent his campaign momentum. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gaffe

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, probably a sense development of gaffe gaff entry 1

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gaffe was in 1909

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gaffe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaffe. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

gaffe

noun
: a noticeable mistake especially of manners

More from Merriam-Webster on gaffe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!