peccadillo
13 synonyms for peccadillo, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A minor fault or wrongdoing.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A minor fault or wrongdoing.
“The sex scandal issue isn’t really central, since Americans have a long record of voting for the candidates they think can deliver, regardless of private peccadilloes.”
2. noun
A small, unimportant offence.
“When he comes to the prayer, he sometimes does me the honor of personally recommending me to the Lord, advising him that I am a worthy man and begging him to condone my occasional peccadillos.”
Etymology
Comes from Spanish pecadillo, a diminutive of pecado (“sin”), which traces back to Latin peccatum (“sin, error, fault”), itself from peccō (“to sin, offend”).
Full origin of peccadillo →