bête
9.9
Silly in a light, slightly embarrassed way
- adjective
- /beɪt/
:
tonto
- They said I couldn't do it because I was bête.
Examples
-
Don't take his bête remarks seriously; he's just joking around.
-
She made a bête comment during the meeting that made everyone laugh.
-
His bête behavior at the party was endearing to his friends.
Synonyms
silly
vsbête
976
1.0
Not sensible and often a little foolish
is milder and more playful rather than harsh or pitying
1
7.2
Being silly and forgetful but not serious
is a playful self-critique rather than true lack of focus
9.2
Silly in a light, playful way
is self-deprecating and personal rather than just lightly playful
Antonyms
How Silly
Surface Forms
bête positive
Etymology
Bête as an adjective meaning 'foolish' comes from the old word bestia for 'animal', and a helpful way to remember it is to imagine someone calling themselves a little 'beast' as a joke, which makes the word feel light and playful.