incongruous

adjective

in·​con·​gru·​ous (ˌ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs 

: lacking congruity: such as

a

: not harmonious : incompatible

incongruous colors

b

: not conforming : disagreeing

conduct incongruous with principle

c

: inconsistent within itself

an incongruous story

d

: lacking propriety : unsuitable

incongruous manners

incongruously adverb

incongruousness noun

Did you know?

Incongruous is a spin-off of its antonym, congruous, which means "in agreement, harmony, or correspondence." Etymologists are in agreement about the origin of both words: they trace to the Latin congruus, from the verb congruere, which means "to come together" or "to agree." The dates of these words' first uses in English match up pretty well, too. Both words are first known to have appeared in English in the early 1580s.

Synonyms of incongruous

• inappropriate
• unsuitable
• improper
• incorrect
• wrong
• unhappy

Examples of incongruous in a Sentence

There is something incongruous about Oslo. —Hugh C. McDonald, The Hour of the Blue Fox, 1975

… it would be as incongruous to meet her at the end of a chapter as it would be to see the dawn break in the west … —Herman Wouk, Aurora Dawn, 1947

He ate enormously, with a zest which seemed incongruous with his spare frame. —Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, 1915

His outburst seemed incongruous to those who know him well.

there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece

Recent Examples on the Web

These incongruous people end up dying in the same dragon fire and looking the same way in a strangely intimate sort of pose. — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

With the help of team psychologist Dr Pippa Grange, England cultivated a team ethos in a manner that was incongruous to generations before them — and felt somewhat jarring, based on English societal norms. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

The beloved Greengrass wallpaper, with its incongruous scenes of old New Orleans, has been absorbing the smell for many decades. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin incongruus, from Latin in- + congruus congruous

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incongruous

• congruous

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Kids Definition

incongruous

adjective

in·​con·​gru·​ous (ˈ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs 

: not harmonious, suitable, or proper

incongruous colors

incongruity

ˌin-kən-ˈgrü-ət-ē, 

-ˌkän-

noun

incongruously

(ˈ)in-ˈkaŋ-grə-wəs-lē

adverb

incongruousness noun