gaffe
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of gaffe
1905–10; < French: blunder, probably special use of gaffe gaff 1
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 gaffe became a defining moment of Quayle’s term.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
The gaffe underscores how lifelike AI visuals -- even those containing glaring errors -- are seeping into everyday discourse, sowing confusion during breaking news events and influencing political debate at the highest levels.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
The “Cold Mountain” gaffe was a rare instance of a “Good Hang” research flub, one that inadvertently managed to illuminate more of Paltrow’s self-perception.
From Salon • Jan. 16, 2026
“There is not a thing that comes to mind,” was her tinny response, and that gaffe is entirely on the former vice president.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025
My gaffe was even worse in Karhidish, but Estraven did not smile, or wince.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
