bête

• b*t* (censored)

Inherited from Middle French beste, from Old French beste, probably partially borrowed from Classical Latin bēstia (“beast”), or less likely from an alternative Vulgar Latin bēsta (“animal”). Compare biche (probably from Old French bisse, itself from Vulgar Latin bīstia; compare Italian biscia).

• IPA^(key): /bɛt/

  • Audio (France):

    (file)

  • Homophones: bêtes, bette, bettes
• IPA^(key): /bɛːt/ (older, now chiefly Belgium and Canada)

  • Audio (Canada):

    (file)

  • Homophone: bêtes

bête f (plural bêtes)

1. beast, animal

   Synonym: animal

2. (derogatory) fool

   Je pense qu’il est une bête !

   I think that he is a fool!

• Haitian Creole: bèt
• → Dutch: bête
• → Swedish: bet

bête (plural bêtes)

1. (offensive) stupid; inept (not very bright and lacking in judgement)

   Synonym: idiot

   • 1895, Lecture, page 285:

     Or, on ne trouve pas « vraiment beau ! » ce qui vous laisse indifférent, et ce qu’on trouve « vraiment bête ! » , on est bien près d’y renoncer.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. silly; avoidable (which could have been easily averted)
3. (Canada, informal) grumpy (having a bad character or in a bad mood; showing great displeasure in interacting with people)
   • 1999, Chrystine Brouillet, Les Fiancées de l'Enfer, →ISBN, page 69:

     Je dis ça, mais depuis quelques semaines elle est moins bête. Même avec moi

     I say that, but these last few weeks she hasn't been as nasty [lit: "less of a beast"]. Even with me.

• “bête”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• “bête”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• baête (continental Normandy)
• beet (Sark)

From Old French beste, from Latin bēstia.

• IPA^(key): /beit/, /bøit/
• (Saint Ouën) IPA^(key): /bɛːt/
• (Sark) IPA^(key): /bwɛːt/

• Audio (Jersey):

  (file)

bête f (plural bêtes)

1. (Jersey, Guernsey) beast, animal
   • 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[1], page 542:

     I' va d'vànt ses bêtes.

     He is going before his team.

bête m or f

1. (Jersey) stupid