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- Dictionarycontretemps/ˈkɒntrətɒ̃/
noun
- 1. a minor dispute or disagreement: "she had occasional contretemps with her staff" Similar
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CONTRETEMPS definition: 1. a small argument or unlucky event, often happening in public and causing social embarrassment…. Learn more.
A contretemps is a badly-timed event or an embarrassing situation. Did you see the outfielders run into each other and the shortstop slip and fall in the mud? Don't laugh — we all have our contretemps.
1. : an inopportune or embarrassing occurrence or situation. 2. : dispute, argument. Did you know? When contretemps first appeared in English in the 1600s, it did so in the context of fencing: a contretemps was a thrust or pass made at the wrong time, whether the wrongness of the time had to do with one’s lack of skill or an opponent’s proficiency.
a small argument or unlucky event, often happening in public and causing social embarrassment: contretemps between There was a slight contretemps between Richard and some guy at the bar. contretemps with Have you got over your little contretemps with the neighbour yet, or are you still not speaking? SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
contretemps in British English. (ˈkɒntrəˌtɑːn , French kɔ̃trətɑ̃ ) noun Word forms: plural -temps. 1. an awkward or difficult situation or mishap. 2. fencing. a feint made with the purpose of producing a counterthrust from one's opponent. 3. a small disagreement that is rather embarrassing.
Contretemps definition: an inopportune occurrence; an embarrassing mischance. See examples of CONTRETEMPS used in a sentence.
Jun 2, 2024 · contretemps (plural contretemps) An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event. Synonyms: hitch, mishap
1. an awkward or difficult situation or mishap. 2. (Fencing) fencing a feint made with the purpose of producing a counterthrust from one's opponent. 3. a small disagreement that is rather embarrassing. [C17: from French, from contre against + temps time, from Latin tempus]
Definition of contretemps noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
an inopportune happening causing confusion or embarrassment; awkward mishap. [...] More. Pronunciations of 'contretemps' British English: kɒntrətɒm. More. Synonyms of 'contretemps' • argument, disagreement, quarrel, row [...] • mishap, mistake, difficulty, accident [...] More. Examples of 'contretemps' in a sentence.
