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faux pas

[foh pah]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR faux pas ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural faux pas [foh pahz; French foh pah] /foʊ ˈpɑz; French foʊ ˈpɑ/.

a slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion.

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RELATED WORDS

blooper, blunder, botch, breach, break, bungle, error, flop, flub, gaffe, goof, hash, impropriety, indiscretion, mess, misconduct, misstep, mistake, offense, oversight

Origin of faux pas

1670–80; < French: literally, false step

Synonyms for faux pas

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR faux pas ON THESAURUS.COM
error; impropriety.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for faux pas

faux pas

noun plural faux pas (ˌfəʊ ˈpɑːz, French fo pɑ)

a social blunder or indiscretion

Word Origin for faux pas

C17: from French: false step
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for faux pas
n.

1670s, French, literally "false step."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper