contretemps
Americannoun
plural
contretempsnoun
-
an awkward or difficult situation or mishap
-
fencing a feint made with the purpose of producing a counterthrust from one's opponent
-
a small disagreement that is rather embarrassing
Etymology
Origin of contretemps
1675–85; < French, equivalent to contre- counter- + temps time (< Latin tempus ); perhaps alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle French contrestant, present participle of contrester to oppose; see contrast
Explanation
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. The word contretemps, pronounced "CON-tre-tahn," is French — contre means "against" and temps means "time." A mishap, perhaps caused by bad timing, is one kind of contretemps. Another is an argument or conflict, especially an awkward one. A contretemps can result from a misunderstanding or miscommunication. It's also a term for a blunder in both ballet and fencing.
Vocabulary lists containing contretemps
It's About Time: Chron and Temp
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A Separate Peace
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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.
The “60 Minutes” contretemps lands as his father, Larry, has agreed personally to backstop $40 billion of Paramount’s $108 billion offer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
Aston Villa team-mates Anwar El Ghazi and Tyrone Mings' contretemps came in a goalless draw with West Ham.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025
It’s enough to make an artistic director throw up a white flag, though Sachs’ decision to retire had nothing to do with this latest contretemps.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2024
Beyond that contretemps, there is a second possible dispute that may be headed to the court of appeals shortly.
From Slate • Feb. 20, 2024
His specific reference was to a contretemps in August 1943 over Rossi Lomanitz, a twenty-one-year-old Rad Lab physicist who was valued as a protege by both Lawrence and Oppenheimer.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
