French word

facétie

Pronunciation

IPA/fasesi/

Meaning

  • feminine nounjoke

Example

Il a raconté une facétie pour détendre l'atmosphère.

He told a joke to lighten the mood.

Illustration for facétie (joke)

More examples

Il a fait une petite facétie pour surprendre sa sœur.

He played a little prank to surprise his sister.

Core concept

A light, finely shaped stroke of wit that eases a serious moment without becoming a large joke.

Common phrases

  • faire une petite facétie

    play a little prank

  • rire d'une facétie

    laugh at a joke

Similar words

blague: A casual joke told to make people laugh.
plaisanterie: A light joke or teasing remark.
boutade: A short joke with wit or a clever twist.
anecdote: A brief, amusing account of an event.

Definition in French

Brièveté et finesse d'esprit exprimées par une parole ou un geste plaisant, perçues parfois comme un trait d'esprit plutôt que comme une grosse blague.

Word origin

French inherited facétie from Old French facetie, itself from Latin facetia, a word for wit, jest, or clever humor.

Usage tips

  • Facétie often has a literary or polished tone, while blague and plaisanterie are more usual in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • pranknoun

Opposites

  • solennitésolemnitynoun

Related words

  • facétieuxplayfuladjective

Word lists with this word