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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtise
Noun
-
Read on to see the beauty blunders, silly styling and overall head-to-toe outfits that these stars regret.—
Tanisha Bhat,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026 -
The base-running blunder by Alcántara, a prospect acquired in the Anthony Rizzo trade with the New York Yankees at the 2021 trade deadline, is just one example of how this team is pressing.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Initially, in 2019, Atkins pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but in 2021, he was found mentally competent to stand trial.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Dominguez also pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder in connection with Guillory’s attack.—
Darrell Smith
June 8,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
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
Noun
-
This is a racist absurdity in addition to being an impossible read of the Constitution, which is perhaps why the Roberts Court has buried it under so many layers of obfuscation.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Often, that makes for a hilarious juxtaposition with the work of the show’s production designer Sharon Lomofsky, who brilliantly captures the absurdity of certain vacation destinations like a barbecue restaurant a stone’s throw from the remote Upstate New York hotel the characters are staying at.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Organizations that have spent decades pretending that the best way to find a new audience is to alienate your existing one are beginning to realize the cost of their folly.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
7 June 2026
-
Here, human folly moves against a backdrop of horror and magic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Don’t just try to be brilliant; focus on avoiding stupidity.—
Nilton Bernini,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Nobody doggedly builds a stand-up career that takes them from clubs to theaters to selling out arena tours from a foundation of genuine stupidity.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
