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
He trades his designer shades for boldly framed eyeglasses, turns his gimlet eye on various sculptures and paintings and drops depth-charged bons mots.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2019
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
That is the origin of the accusation, so often made, that Wilde built a reputation on borrowed bons mots.
From Oscar Wilde A Critical Study by Arthur Ransome
