Contretemps
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈkɒn.tɹə.tɑ̃ŋ/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Contretemps is a noun meaning An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event.
Meaning
An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event.
More Meanings
- (fencing) An ill-timed pass.
Example Sentences
The spat was just the latest in a series of contretemps between the RN and the AfD.
The small flap over the pronunciation of her name was but the first, and the least, of the contretemps of the succeeding session.
Mrs. Post was the center of a notable contretemps when she spilled a spoonful of berries at a dinner of the Gourmet Society here in 1938.
It is worth considering what the misperceptions about him might be if the whole “contretemps with Oprah,” as he calls it, hadn’t happened.
Synonyms for contretemps
Depending on context, synonyms include mishap.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include misfortune, untime, misevent, trouble, disaster, moment.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.