noun
definition
An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event; a hitch
definition
An ill-timed pass.
Examples of contretemps in a Sentence
He waltzed out of the dance class yesterday, and had a bad contretemps with Kevin the instructor.
He was strongly urged to enter Stepney (now Regent's Park) College to prepare more fully for the ministry, but an appointment with Dr Joseph Angus, the tutor, having accidently fallen through, Spurgeon interpreted the contretemps as a divine warning against a college career.
It was hoped that the assembly of the attacking troops in the restricted zone opposite the crossing point, the rapid bridging of the dry canal, and the pushing forward of guns to cover the farther advance, and of reinforcements, ammunition and supplies to support it, could all be carried out with the necessary speed and security, although the difficulties to be faced were very great and the possible causes of contretemps numerous.
This apparatus resulted in a minor contretemps when we were visited, on another matter, by a rather officious Excise Officer.
Leon was more than a little surprised at this, since it didn't concur with his memory of the little contretemps.