A gaffe is a stupid or careless mistake, for example when you say or do something that offends or upsets people.
He made an embarrassing gaffe at the convention last weekend.
...social gaffes committed by high-ranking individuals.
Synonyms: blunder, mistake, error, indiscretion More Synonyms of gaffe
2.
See blow the gaffe/gaff
gaffe in British English
(ɡæf)
noun
a social blunder, esp a tactless remark
Word origin
C19: from French
gaffe in American English
(gæf)
noun
a blunder; faux pas
Word origin
Fr < OProv gaf: see gaff1
Examples of 'gaffe' in a sentence
gaffe
It’s also worth recording some of the social media gaffes from this election.
Computing (2010)
The embarrassing technical gaffe was in the first episode of the new series.
The Sun (2017)
The embarrassing gaffe was contained in a pledge to deliver apprenticeships.
The Sun (2015)
It was an embarrassing gaffe by any standards.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Is she committing a social gaffe?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It's just one gaffe after another.
The Sun (2006)
Chalk it up as another gaffe that the Duke just about got away with.
The Sun (2013)
And the 2013 calendar gaffe is just another episode that will leave them in despair.
The Sun (2013)
You are not prone to social gaffes, you are just deeply strange.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
I wondered whether you had any advice for a person prone to huge faux pas and social gaffes.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Somebody with such potential for embarrassing gaffes should forget about the White House.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And due to their lack of knowledge, users are also prone to potentially embarrassing gaffes, according to new research.
The Sun (2013)
And in a way they should, because he often makes gaffes when he's actually trying to put people at ease.
The Sun (2011)
I recall one embarrassing gaffe I committed during our middle worship hour message.
Christianity Today (2000)
Hopefully she will soon make another major gaffe and disappear back to the wilds, after sadly setting back the cause of women in American politics by decades.
The Sun (2016)
Quotations
A gaffe is when a politician tells the truthMichael Kinsley
(noun)
Definition
something said or done that is socially upsetting or incorrect
He made an embarrassing gaffe at the convention last weekend.
Synonyms
blunder
I think we have made a tactical blunder.
mistake
He says there must have been some mistake.
error
NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations.
indiscretion
The newspapers tried to reveal the party's indiscretions.
lapse
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.
boob (British, slang)
slip-up (informal)
The girls had made three crucial slip-ups.
slip
There must be no slips.
howler (informal)
I felt as if I had made an outrageous howler.
bloomer (informal)
clanger (informal)
faux pas
She made an embarrassing faux pas.
boo-boo (informal)
solecism
gaucherie
barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang)
Quotation
A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth [Michael Kinsley]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of error
Definition
a mistake, inaccuracy, or misjudgment
NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations.
Synonyms
mistake,
slip,
fault,
blunder,
flaw,
boob (British, slang),
delusion,
oversight,
misconception,
fallacy,
inaccuracy,
howler (informal),
bloomer (British, informal),
miscalculation,
misapprehension,
solecism (formal),
erratum,
barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang),
boner (slang, US)
in the sense of faux pas
Definition
a socially embarrassing action or mistake
She made an embarrassing faux pas.
Synonyms
gaffe,
blunder,
indiscretion,
impropriety,
bloomer (British, informal),
boob (British, slang),
clanger (informal),
solecism,
breach of etiquette,
gaucherie,
barbecue stopper (Australian, informal)
in the sense of gaucherie
Synonyms
blunder,
mistake,
slip,
lapse,
boob (slang),
gaffe,
indiscretion,
bloomer (informal),
clanger (informal),
faux pas,
solecism (formal),
breach of etiquette
Nearby words of
gaffe
gadabout
gadget
Gaelic
gaffe
gaffer
gag
gage
Synonyms of 'gaffe'
gaffe
Explore 'gaffe' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of howler
Definition
a glaring mistake
I felt as if I had made an outrageous howler.
Synonyms
mistake,
bull (slang),
error,
blunder,
boob (British, slang),
bloomer (British, informal),
clanger (informal),
malapropism,
schoolboy howler,
booboo (informal),
barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang),
boner (slang, US)
in the sense of indiscretion
Definition
an indiscreet act or remark
The newspapers tried to reveal the party's indiscretions.
Synonyms
mistake,
slip,
error,
lapse,
folly,
boob (British, slang),
gaffe,
bloomer (British, informal),
faux pas,
barry or Barry Crocker (Australian, slang)
in the sense of lapse
Definition
a temporary drop in standard as a result of forgetfulness or lack of concentration
The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.