faux pas — an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌfoʊ ˈpɑː/
Example Sentences
- Asking the bride when she's due at her wedding was an epic faux pas - turns out she wasn't pregnant.
- He committed a serious faux pas by criticizing the host's cooking during the dinner party.
- Not knowing local customs, she made several cultural faux pas during her business trip to Japan.
faux pas
NOUN[/ˌfoʊ ˈpɑː/]
an embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation
He made a serious faux pas by wearing sneakers to the formal dinner.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From French, meaning literally 'false step.' The phrase combines the French adjective 'faux' (false) with the noun 'pas' (step), and was borrowed into English to describe a social misstep or tactless remark.
Breakdown
faux (false) + pas (step) = faux pas (a false step in social conduct)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Asking the bride when she's due at her wedding was an epic faux pas - turns out she wasn't pregnant.”
“He committed a serious faux pas by criticizing the host's cooking during the dinner party.”
“Not knowing local customs, she made several cultural faux pas during her business trip to Japan.”
“Calling his new boss 'dude' in the meeting was a faux pas that made everyone cringe.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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