infelicitous

adjective

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in·fe·lic·i·tous | \ ˌin-fi-ˈli-sə-təs

Definition of infelicitous

: not felicitous: such as

a : not appropriate or well-timed an infelicitous remark

b : awkward, unfortunate an infelicitous moment

Other Words from infelicitous Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about infelicitous

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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 The New York bill would implement a concept called extended producer responsibility, an incredibly infelicitous recycling term. — Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, "Recycling in America Is a Mess. A New Bill Could Clean It Up.," 27 Jan. 2021 That grid revision unfortunately resulted in some infelicitous words being added to the puzzle. — New York Times, "Minotaur’s Island," 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, "Is Costa Rica’s presidential election a victory for liberalism?," 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, "The 2017 Chicago International Film Festival, reviewed," 12 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infelicitous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.