bons mots
- plural of bon mot.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous,” Voltaire, the 18th-century French enlightenment philosopher, himself known for his bons mots, once wrote, adding: “God granted my prayer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
He dished out the bons mots with each entrance like he was a thirsty Pascal who paid for his drinks in pensées, which made him an inspiration.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025
This approach isn’t without its pitfalls, and despite the occasional cackles, Cardi B is subdued and serious in person, with the filthy jokes and boundary-pushing bons mots of her Instagram largely absent.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 1, 2017
In the daily paper, he’s a virtuoso of the short-form judgment, turning out work that’s insightful, unfussy, and pyrite-flecked with bons mots.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 7, 2016
The triumphant doctrinaires pass no jokes at their expense; no bons mots are quoted against them, nor does any shop exhibit caricatures either of what they have been or of what they are.
From Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1 of 2) by Trollope, Frances Milton
