Synonyms of gaffe

gaffe

noun

ˈgaf 

1

as in blunder

a socially improper or unsuitable act or remark

committed a huge gaffe when she started drinking from the finger bowl

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blunder
• mistake
• error
• indiscretion
• gaff
• solecism
• faux pas
• flub
• impropriety
• miscue
• familiarity
• misstep
• offense
• fumble
• slipup
• goof
• lapse
• discourtesy
• misstatement
• stumble
• miscalculation
• howler
• incivility
• misjudgment
• slip
• misconception
• oversight
• misunderstanding
• muff
• foul-up
• boner
• misapprehension

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gesture
• attention
• courtesy
• formality
• civility
• pleasantry
• form
• amenity
• manners
• mores
• proprieties

2

as in mistake

an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy

so-called debates, which seemed to be mainly about seeing which candidate made the most gaffes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mistake
• blunder
• error
• flub
• miscue
• fumble
• inaccuracy
• misstep
• gaff
• trip
• stumble
• slipup
• screwup
• clanger
• goof
• brick
• bobble
• lapse
• fault
• boob
• slip
• boo-boo
• clinker
• oversight
• fluff
• blooper
• pratfall
• howler
• snafu
• misunderstanding
• misstatement
• miscalculation
• bloomer
• misjudgment
• boner
• misinterpretation
• misreading
• misconception
• misconstruction
• foul-up
• miscomprehension
• misdescription
• misapprehension
• misimpression

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• precision
• accuracy
• correctness
• exactness
• exactitude
• strictness
• perfection
• infallibility
• preciseness
• inerrancy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gaffe

There had been an embarrassing episode in Scotland, again on a golf course, in which Harp had made the gaffe of being overly clingy. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

The senator's debate-stage gaffe was eyebrow raising – some even say disqualifying. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

The April vote followed drops in polling for National, while this week’s followed recent public remarks Luxon had made on various issues that some in his party saw as gaffes. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Hilton, 48, made a name in the early 2000s publicizing and sometimes belittling celebrities who made public gaffes or otherwise found themselves in trouble with the law. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026