WORD OF THE DAY
A bon mot is a witty statement, or a very well-chosen word. The most popular guest at a party is probably the one who keeps everyone chuckling with his bons mots.
In real life, we often come up with a bon mot long after a conversation is over — it's the perfect response, or the most charming way to express something. A politician who stays cool under pressure can respond to awkward questions or accusations with bons mots, and a teacher's bons mots can keep a classroom of students interested and entertained. In French, bon mot literally means "good word."
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Vocabulary lists containing bon mot
Learn these foreign words, phrases, and expressions that are commonly used by speakers of English.
Bonjour, vocabulary connoisseurs! Did you know that almost 30% of words in the English language come from French? Brush up on these common English words derived from French and show everyone that your vocabulary is the crème de la crème. Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8, List 9, List 10, List 11, Terms
Layla Amin thinks of herself as a typical American teenager. But when Muslim-Americans like Layla and her family are forcibly relocated to internment camps, the seventeen-year-old decides to fight for her freedom.
In this satirical French novella, a wide-eyed optimist gradually becomes disillusioned. Learn these words from the Modern Library translation.
This vocabulary list features words and phrases that have come into English from French.
