boutade

/ buːˈtɑːd /

noun

1. an outburst; sally

Word History and Origins

Origin of boutade¹

C17: from French, from bouter to thrust

Example Sentences

The passage which follows is no mere boutade or paradox; it is a kind of culminating expression of the theory which regards the supraliminal man as the normal man, and distrusts all deep disturbance of his accustomed psychical routine.

From Project Gutenberg

Boutade, bōō-tad′, n. a sudden outburst.

From Project Gutenberg

Jeffrey called indignant attention to the "most rooted and disgusting selfishness" of Rousseau, and quoted with approval the boutade of Diderot, "Cet homme est un forcen�."

From Project Gutenberg

He was even sued in the courts for a pamphlet called Boutade d’un homme riche � sentiments populaires, and delivered a speech to the jury in which he displayed very daring social theories.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing need be added, I think, to so graphic a "boutade" as this, which, though somewhat satirical, would not appear to have been much too highly coloured for the occasion.

From Project Gutenberg