plural bons mots bōⁿ-ˈmō How to pronounce bon mot (audio) bōⁿ-ˈmōz How to pronounce bon mot (audio)
ˌbän-ˈmōz
or bon mots bōⁿ-ˈmō How to pronounce bon mot (audio) bōⁿ-ˈmōz How to pronounce bon mot (audio)
ˌbän-ˈmōz
: a clever remark : witticism
his bons mots were being repeated … from coast to coastW. J. Fisher

Examples of bon mot in a Sentence

She had a sparkling bon mot for every occasion.
Recent Examples on the Web For many of us who had savored Smith’s priceless delivery of the driest witticisms and most delicious bon mots for years, the wider 21st century discovery of her formidable screen persona via those characters brought satisfaction that the youngsters had finally caught up. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024 It is derived from the more familiar bon mot: a topologist is someone who doesn’t know the difference between a coffee cup and a doughnut. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The character never has to search long for a bon mot. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2023 Only Matt Smith’s Daemon and maybe Eve Best’s Princess Rhaenys (at least in the season’s penultimate episode) seem capable of getting the joke or dropping a bon mot. Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022 See all Example Sentences for bon mot 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bon mot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, good word

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bon mot was in 1713

Dictionary Entries Near bon mot

Cite this Entry

“Bon mot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20mot. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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