BETISE Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

bêtise

noun

bā-ˈtēz

Definition of bêtise

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtise

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

Iraq, Canada, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Qatar, Saudi Arabia After accidentally cursing President Saddam Hussein on stage, theater actor Salem convinces a military court of his insanity to escape a death sentence.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 July 2026
San Francisco trailed 6-1 at the time of Webb’s departure, and given Coors Field’s penchant for insanity, a comeback wasn’t out of the question.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2026

Definition of insanity

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

The line between courage and folly is thin as Mars and Uranus align!

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Whereas, in early modern Italy, where the word comes from, the pedante—a professional teacher of Latin—was a figure associated with folly and intellectual overreach.

— Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 27 June 2026

Definition of folly

Noun

Is there a level of insanity, vitriol and stupidity that is infiltrating almost every aspect of our modern society, regardless of your political or religious views?

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Warm, fuzzy feelings for noble stupidity are an American thing, especially in politics.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026

Definition of stupidity

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betimes

bêtise

bêtises

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“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bêtise

noun

Example Sentences

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