bêtises

noun

plural of bêtise
as in fopperies
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bêtises
  1. insanities
  2. blunders
  3. follies
  4. absurdities
  5. inanities
Noun
  • Working with Chhaya clients who were facing foreclosure, Mamdani got an intimate look at the little insanities of the city’s housing crisis.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Definition of insanities
Noun
  • Holding her tongue is not Kate’s forte in general, and the severity of Todd’s avalanche of blunders in their meeting with the British foreign secretary tests the outer limits of her ability.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Nevertheless, Muse’s early days were filled with security and privacy blunders.
    — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunders
Noun
  • Compounded by the sudden passing of Lily’s grandfather—which renders her initial motivation to study Mandarin moot—these follies only deepen beneath a veil of complicated mourning.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The broader opportunity costs of the United States’ Middle Eastern follies are even more insidious.
    — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of follies
Noun
  • Clark deserves considerable credit for keeping these escalating absurdities grounded.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Related Stories Of course, the Kings have long had a keen eye for distilling and (just barely) heightening the absurdities of modern life.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurdities
Noun
  • For the past four years, Honan has been a worm in Adams’s apple, scoring scoop after scoop about the dramas, inanities, and intrigues of his administration.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
Definition of inanities
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bêtise
bêtises
be (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Bêtises.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/b%C3%AAtises. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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