BÊTISES Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

bêtises

noun

plural of bêtise

as in fopperies

a foolish act or idea writing a sequel to a Jane Austen novel must be regarded as a literary bêtise of the highest order

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtises

Noun

Working with Chhaya clients who were facing foreclosure, Mamdani got an intimate look at the little insanities of the city’s housing crisis.

— Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025

Definition of insanities

Noun

But the show’s episodic structure actually softens the impact of these blunders.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 July 2026
The real cost of getting it wrong Marketing blunders are often amusing, and some of these examples have become business school case studies of what not to do.

— Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 23 July 2026

Definition of blunders

Noun

For example, Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, perhaps the most serious attempt to eliminate fiscal follies, promised to gradually reduce federal deficits until 1991, when a balanced budget would be achieved.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 15 July 2026
According to Sosnick, investors today may be too focused on companies’ rosy short-term guidance and assuming the good times will last — one of the many follies of those who got burned in 2000.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 13 May 2026

Definition of follies

Noun

All sorts of factors—religious fervor, drug trips, the absurdities of aging—an unmoor a person’s mind and spirit.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Mason has a field day riffing on the absurdities of contemporary academic culture and flagging the divides that separate what are often called coastal elites at the western and eastern edges of the country.

— Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026

Definition of absurdities

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.

Browse Nearby Words

bêtise

bêtises

be (to)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bêtises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtises. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bêtises

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

parochial

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes