bêtise

noun

bā-ˈtēz How to pronounce bêtise (audio)
Definition of bêtisenext
as in blunder
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtise
  1. blunder
  2. insanity
  3. idiocy
  4. absurdity
  5. folly
  6. stupidity
Noun
  • Nothing makes this part of the chase memorable or important enough to merit a flash-forward, which turns it into a deflating blunder in a series that can’t afford to slow down.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
  • And while that may sound like little more than a comic blunder, these slips offer one of the clearest windows into how language is assembled in the mind.
    — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 14 July 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • This case involved a client who, after years of competency litigation, was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state forensic hospital.
    — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • This is reaching the level of insanity in the state of Georgia.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • My favorite thing in the world to watch or try to do is somebody who has full confidence in their idiocy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • That’s the level of idiocy in the Los Angeles city government.
    — Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
Definition of idiocy
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
  • Still, the gleeful absurdity of that concept came with its own humanity.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of absurdity
Noun
  • Adopting the Red Scare tactics of the last century seems unlikely to save Republicans from the political consequences of this folly.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • But the most astute recognize the folly of the notion that the military can sidestep politics entirely.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of folly
Noun
  • His eventual dismissal in second-half stoppage time was an exercise in rash stupidity, crashing through Spain’s teenage center back Pau Cubarsi.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Here are the three reasons a good employee sits on a great AI discovery, and none of them is stupidity.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of stupidity
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

betimes
bêtise
bêtises
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Cite this Entry

“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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