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. idiocy
  3. insanity
  4. absurdity
  5. folly
  6. stupidity
Noun
  • Woeful may have undercut the reality of the Lakers’ first-half shooting blunders from distance.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Despite the blunders, TCU led 14-10 at halftime and had a chance to extend the lead on the first possession of the second half.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • There's always been an element of complete idiocy in the culture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Forty years on, Spy magazine is best remembered, not unjustly, as the first entity to call out Trump for his tackiness, villainy, and arrant idiocy.
    — David Kamp, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of idiocy
Noun
  • The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over.
    — Ryan Ottignon, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Bennett asked the jury to find Hinton not guilty by reason of insanity.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Firstman excels at highlighting the absurdity of celebrity and the pretension of coastal media types.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
  • To expose the assumptions, prejudices and absurdities of those interacting with them in the real world — whether on the right or left, in a position of tremendous power or someone off the street.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of absurdity
Noun
  • The preelection exemptions underscore both the power of Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and the fundamental folly of protectionism.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The sellers made a mistake — and a trip to the poker table helps illustrate their folly.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of folly
Noun
  • The power delivery remains impressively smooth, but there is a lot more of it, and the speed builds with the effortless stupidity electric motors are so good at delivering.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Learning that countless more people will lose their lives on account of his neglect, greed, and stupidity, he is pressed, reluctantly, into a most self-serving mode of damage control.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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