Search results
- Dictionarycontretemps/ˈkɒntrətɒ̃/
noun
- 1. a minor dispute or disagreement: "she had occasional contretemps with her staff" Similar
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
CONTRETEMPS definition: 1. a small argument or unlucky event, often happening in public and causing social embarrassment…. Learn more.
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.
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.
Contretemps definition: an inopportune occurrence; an embarrassing mischance. See examples of CONTRETEMPS used in a sentence.
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. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
Definition of contretemps noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
