Definition

Noun: 1. An awkward or embarrassing minor disagreement, mishap, or unfortunate incident: A contretemps is a small, unexpected, and often socially awkward problem or disagreement that causes a minor disruption or embarrassment. It is not a major disaster but a temporary and inconvenient setback.

Usage

Contretemps is a formal word, often used in written English or sophisticated speech to describe a minor social or diplomatic embarrassment. It typically refers to a brief, awkward incident between people.

Examples

• There was a slight contretemps when the guest of honor arrived before the host was ready to receive him.
• The meeting proceeded smoothly, apart from a minor contretemps over the seating arrangements.
• She handled the contretemps with the waiter over the wrong order with grace and humor.

Advanced Usage

• "To have a contretemps with someone": To experience a minor, awkward disagreement or clash with a specific person.
  • The diplomat had a brief contretemps with a journalist over the wording of the statement.

Variants and Related Words

• No common variants in English. The word is borrowed directly from French and retains its original spelling and plural form ().

Synonyms

• Mishap: A minor accident or piece of bad luck.
• Misunderstanding: A failure to understand something correctly, often leading to a minor disagreement.
• Setback: A problem that makes progress more difficult or success less likely.
• Hitch: A temporary problem that causes a short delay.

Idioms and Related Phrases

• A slight misunderstanding: A very common and less formal way to express a similar idea to a minor .
  • We had a slight misunderstanding about the time, but it was quickly resolved.

Noun

1. an awkward clash
   • he tried to smooth over his contretemps with the policeman