gaffe

/ɡæf/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡæf/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgaf/ (ame, mw)

gaffe — noun

  • gaffesingular
  • gaffesplural

1. something embarrassing that you say or do in front of other people, usually by a

1.名詞C1
釋義

something embarrassing that you say or do in front of other people, usually by accident, which breaks polite social rules or upsets someone.

例句

Andrés made an awful gaffe by asking Nora when her baby was due.

collocation: make a gaffe

The minister's gaffe at the press conference made headlines across the country the next morning.

collocation: gaffe at + event

同義詞
  • blunder

    broader — any clumsy mistake, not only social ones

  • faux pas

    near-identical meaning; slightly more formal and from French

  • slip-up

    informal; covers any small error, often unrelated to social rules

  • indiscretion

    emphasises poor judgement, often involving revealing private information

文法句型

make a gaffe

commit a gaffe

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person, often in a public or formal setting. Frequently appears with intensifying adjectives like 'serious', 'awful', 'embarrassing', or diminishing ones like 'small', 'minor'.

常見錯誤

❌He told a gaffe at the party.
✅He made a gaffe at the party.
💡gaffes are made or committed, not told.
❌She did a gaffe by forgetting his name.
✅She made a gaffe by forgetting his name.
💡use 'make' rather than 'do' with this noun.