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
Noun
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Several real estate blunders exacerbated the situation.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026 -
Gabriel and Zubimendi played costly blind passes against Bournemouth and Manchester United in January, Rice had his moment of madness away to Spurs in February, and even David Raya had a rare blunder away to Wolves.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iran’s nuclear insanity leaves America and allies no room to blink.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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That still leaves the sanity phase of his trial, which will determine whether Fahim — who previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity — faces up to life in prison without parole or being sent to a state hospital for treatment.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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Gunther and Tig are two billionaire failsons who have wasted countless opportunities and cash chasing the stupidest ideas and who get rewarded over and over again for their idiocy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Gleefully ludicrous and committed to its own absurdity, this ensemble comedy earns every outrageous laugh.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
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One takes a scathing look at the absurdities of the American healthcare industry, while the other reinforces the season’s nature-out-of-balance themes.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Man’s folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
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Man’s fiasco folly is a feast for the flies.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If not for the stupidity of Joe Biden and the Democrats, ICE would have an easier job.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Smart, skilled, hardworking people gracefully put up with all manner of tragedy, stupidity, and institutional rot.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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