an unpleasant event or an embarrassing occasion when people disagree 不幸事情;令人难堪的龃龉 They have been ignoring me since our last contretemps. 自从我们上次争吵以来,他们一直不理我。
Word Originlate 17th cent. (originally as a fencing term, denoting a thrust made at an inopportune moment): French, originally ‘motion out of time’, from contre- ‘against’ + temps ‘time’.