infelicitous
adjective
in·fe·lic·i·tous
ˌin-fi-ˈli-sə-təs 
: not felicitous: such as
a
: not appropriate or well-timed
an infelicitous remark
b
: awkward, unfortunate
an infelicitous moment
infelicitously
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of infelicitous in a Sentence
an infelicitous comment on the weight of the guest of honor at the banquet
Recent Examples on the Web
Dallas American politics lately feels like an endless game of—pardon the infelicitous word—delegitimation.
—
Barton Swaim, wsj.com, 18 Apr. 2023
The New York bill would implement a concept called extended producer responsibility, an incredibly infelicitous recycling term.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2021
That grid revision unfortunately resulted in some infelicitous words being added to the puzzle.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
Despite the infelicitous coincidence of the election date with Easter — which would normally have been expected to depress turnout — turnout actually ticked slightly upward from recent contests, to 67 percent.
—Amy Erica Smith, Vox, 2 Apr. 2018
As in video games, the action is lurid, hyperkinetic, and gruesomely violent, with nods to Grand Theft Auto and a comparably infelicitous treatment of the few women characters who show up.
—Chicago Reader, 12 Oct. 2017
Barton Swaim, wsj.com, 18 Apr. 2023
The New York bill would implement a concept called extended producer responsibility, an incredibly infelicitous recycling term.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2021
That grid revision unfortunately resulted in some infelicitous words being added to the puzzle.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
Despite the infelicitous coincidence of the election date with Easter — which would normally have been expected to depress turnout — turnout actually ticked slightly upward from recent contests, to 67 percent.
—Amy Erica Smith, Vox, 2 Apr. 2018
As in video games, the action is lurid, hyperkinetic, and gruesomely violent, with nods to Grand Theft Auto and a comparably infelicitous treatment of the few women characters who show up.
—Chicago Reader, 12 Oct. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infelicitous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1835, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near infelicitous
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infelicitous. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
infelicitous
adjective
in·fe·lic·i·tous
ˌin-fi-ˈlis-ət-əs
: not appropriate : not suitably chosen for the occasion
an infelicitous remark
infelicitously
adverb
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