bon mot

noun

bōⁿ-ˈmō  ˌbän-ˈmō 

plural bons mots bōⁿ-ˈmō  bōⁿ-ˈmōz 

ˌbän-ˈmōz

or bon mots bōⁿ-ˈmō  bōⁿ-ˈmōz 

ˌbän-ˈmōz

: a clever remark : witticism

his bons mots were being repeated … from coast to coast

—W. 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

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, good word

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above