gaucherie
Awkwardness in company
Gaucherie is socially awkward or tactless behavior—the quality of being gauche.
It can refer to a specific blunder: His gaucherie at the dinner party embarrassed everyone.
The word carries a slightly literary or affected tone, borrowed from French to describe clumsiness in manners or conduct that a native English word like "awkwardness" might handle just as well.
Social misstep or indiscretion
- gaffeClumsy social error
- indiscretionUnwise act or remark
- improprietyUnsuitable or inappropriate behavior
- solecismGrammatical or social blunder
breach · infelicity · transgression · discourtesy · indelicacy · bluntness · insensitivity · thoughtlessness
Mild physical or mental distress
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- self-consciousnessUncomfortable awareness of oneself
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- clumsinessLack of physical grace
stiffness · maladroitness · ineptitude · ungainliness · gawkiness · fumbling · woodenness · ham-fistedness
Error in action or judgment
- slipMinor error or misstep
- errorFault in communication
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- mistakeWrong action or decision
lapse · miscalculation · misjudgment · fumble · flub · bungle · botch · snafu
Innocent lack of experience
- inexperienceLack of prior exposure
- provincialityNarrow regional outlook
- rusticityCountry-style simplicity
- greennessState of being verdant
rawness · unrefinement · unworldliness · simplicity · guilelessness · innocence · callowness
faux pas
Social misstep or indiscretion
- gaffeClumsy social error
- indiscretionUnwise act or remark
- improprietyUnsuitable or inappropriate behavior
solecism · breach · infelicity · transgression · discourtesy · indelicacy · bluntness · insensitivity · thoughtlessness · offense
discomfort
Mild physical or mental distress
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- self-consciousnessUncomfortable awareness of oneself
- uneaseMild persistent worry
clumsiness · stiffness · maladroitness · ineptitude · ungainliness · gawkiness · fumbling · woodenness · ham-fistedness · heavy-handedness
misstep
Error in action or judgment
mistake · lapse · miscalculation · misjudgment · fumble · flub · bungle · botch · snafu · goof
naivety
Innocent lack of experience
- inexperienceLack of prior exposure
- provincialityNarrow regional outlook
- rusticityCountry-style simplicity
greenness · rawness · unrefinement · unworldliness · simplicity · guilelessness · innocence · callowness
- gracelessnessclumsiness, awkwardness, boorishness, rudeness, vulgarity
gaucheriegrace
Effortless beauty of motion
elegance · poise · savoir-faire · tact · tactfulness
gaucherietact
Sensitivity in speech
tactfulness · diplomacy · discretion · delicacy · sensitivity