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

DoorDash can at least take comfort in the fact that Dot’s latest gaffe isn’t wholly unique. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 24 June 2026

Or all the times Republicans went after former President Joe Biden’s gaffes? — S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

Steyer didn’t have a major gaffe or scandal that torpedoed his campaign. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026

Outfielder Jo Adell was out of the lineup on Wednesday, a day after an embarrassing gaffe when a ball hit his head and went over the fence. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 4 June 2026