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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
  • So, when looking at the bigger picture, this isn’t really an example of an AI failure leading to a military blunder, but rather a failure of verification before circulation.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
  • After last week's high-profile blunder saw Erling Haaland wrongly awarded the winning goal against Manchester United, VAR Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus have been stood down for this round of fixtures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of blunder
Noun
  • Beavis and Butt-Head function as a note-perfect satire of teenage confidence and idiocy, but the sharpness of the writing has always belied the bottom-of-the-barrel intellect of its title characters.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of idiocy
Noun
  • But this is preposterous, this is insanity, this is the very essence of bedlam.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The need for any person to openly brandish a sidearm or a person to carry an assault rifle on his shoulder is absolute insanity.
    — Dan Sweeney, Sun Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • As the interviewer, Clark had a responsibility to identify the absurdity of the claim.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The release might be pleasure, humour, violence, absurdity, beauty, desire.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of absurdity
Noun
  • Every one of these ongoing conflicts is a tragedy— and every one of them is a total human folly.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Compounded by the sudden passing of Lily’s grandfather—which renders her initial motivation to study Mandarin moot—these follies only deepen beneath a veil of complicated mourning.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of folly
Noun
  • Nerdiest song for drummers This will probably come down to stupidity.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This stupidity is tantamount to a cop issuing a summons to someone picking their nose in public to prove that crime is out of control.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 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 29 Sep. 2026.

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