bêtise

noun

bê·tise bā-ˈtēz

plural bêtises bā-ˈtēz

: an act of foolishness or stupidity

: lack of good sense : stupidity

writing a sequel to a Jane Austen novel must be regarded as a literary bêtise of the highest order

Etymology

French, from bête idiot, fool, literally, beast

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of bêtise was in 1798

See more words from the same year

The Words of the Week - Nov. 17

Dictionary lookups from politics, the Middle East, and international relations

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless...

Some may be more useful than others.

'Dunderhead' and Other ‘Nicer’ Ways...

As illustrated by some very smart pups

Style

“Bêtise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/b%C3%AAtise. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Get Word of the Day daily email!