bêtise

See also: Betise and bêtisé

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French bêtise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beɪˈtiːz/, /bɛˈtiːz/

Noun

bêtise (countable and uncountable, plural bêtises)

1. silliness, folly, stupidity
   • 1840, M. A. Titmarsh [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], The Paris Sketch Book, volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Macrone, […], →OCLC:

     […] Flicflac will trill you off fifty in ten minutes, and wonder at the bêtise of the Briton, who has never a word to say.

Anagrams

• bestie, beties, bitees

French

Etymology

From bête +‎ -ise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛ.tiz/, /be.tiz/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

bêtise f (plural bêtises)

1. (uncountable) foolishness
2. (countable) hooey
3. (uncountable) nonsense

Descendants

• → English: bêtise
• → German: Betise

See also

• connerie

Further reading

• “bêtise”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.