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Synonyms

faux pas

American  
[foh pah] / foʊ ˈpɑ /

noun

plural

faux pas

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

    Synonyms:
    impropriety, error
faux pas British  
/ fo pɑ, ˌfəʊ ˈpɑː /

noun

  1. a social blunder or indiscretion

"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

Etymology

Origin of faux pas

First recorded in 1670–80; from French: literally, “false step”

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.

Faux pas such as these sound almost comically basic, and they are.

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2021

Q. Faux pas in front of future in-laws: If such a thing were possible, I would actually perish of embarrassment.

From Slate • May 9, 2017

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.