bon mot
noun
a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism.
bons mots
-
pluralof bon mot.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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
It is difficult not to write a review that is simply a compendium of Specktor’s bons mots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2021
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
Over the next two hours, we were repeatedly divided and subdivided into small groups, plucked away for one-on-one scenes, and marched through halls lined with cheery posters spouting bons mots of inspiration.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 7, 2016
A considerable number of his bons mots have been preserved by his biographers.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various
