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
  • Many of the Round of 16 matches have been tight, and a defensive blunder or a goalkeeper howler could change the course of a game.
    — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • Goalkeeper Matt Freese’s costly blunder in the 57th minute was an embarrassment that gifted the Belgians a third goal to all but seal the elimination loss.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • McCall tried to create a contrast between the locations, with the Cady clan’s surroundings having an overgrown quality reflecting the uncontrollable insanity at the heart of the family.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • Dominguez entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • That’s the level of idiocy in the Los Angeles city government.
    — Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
  • The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of idiocy
Noun
  • The only thing this movie takes seriously is its wholehearted commitment to absurdity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 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 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
  • 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
  • The stupidity of losing his car was one thing; the cruelty of forcing her to make that choice was quite another.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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