incongruity

noun

in·​con·​gru·​i·​ty ˌin-kən-ˈgrü-ə-tē 

-ˌkän-

plural incongruities

1

: the quality or state of being incongruous

2

: something that is incongruous

Synonyms

• contradiction
• dichotomy
• paradox

Examples of incongruity in a Sentence

she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house

Recent Examples on the Web

Kirby’s incongruity is terrifying, so said someone much wiser than me. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025

Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025

Understand nuance, relational differences, and can deal with incongruity. —Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Camp is this aesthetic of ironic juxtaposition, taking something that might be shocking in its incongruity, and then using it to create a cool or humorous effect. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for incongruity

• ambiguity
• contiguity
• continuity
• ingenuity
• perpetuity
• perspicuity
• promiscuity
• superfluity
• acuity
• annuity
• circuity
• congruity