mal·a·prop
ˈma-lə-ˌpräp 
: an example of malapropism
was famed for malaprops: he always said "polo bears" and "Remember Pearl Island" and "neon stockings"—
Time
Time
variants
or malapropian
: using or marked by the use of malapropisms
malaprop uses
"So many former players get into broadcasting and tend to butcher the English language. Some are malaprop artists. …"—Jack Buck
Jack BuckExamples of malaprop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebEliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2022
Imagine Sarah Palin without the you-betcha malaprops and the political grievances.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
Whenever there’s a funny Caribbean crab or malaprop-prone seagull onstage, younger kids are delighted.
—Donna Freedman, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Oct. 2019
After exhausting every other option for a new Juliet, Simon reluctantly hires Nancy, a malaprop-prone small-town Utah girl who can’t really act and has never performed Shakespeare.
—Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, 24 June 2018
Benson drew chuckles with his Benson Boogie — and with his malaprops.
—Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2018
The Guardian chose the Trump Twitter malaprop unpresidented.
—Stefan Fatsis, Slate Magazine, 3 Feb. 2017
Senator John Kerry in 2004 won laughs from a Democratic audience for mocking President George W. Bush’s halting speaking style and malaprops.
—Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2016
Noun
Here came the confident and self-possessed John Fetterman, who moved easily, and delivered remarks without a single malaprop.
—Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2022
Imagine Sarah Palin without the you-betcha malaprops and the political grievances.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
Whenever there’s a funny Caribbean crab or malaprop-prone seagull onstage, younger kids are delighted.
—Donna Freedman, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Oct. 2019
After exhausting every other option for a new Juliet, Simon reluctantly hires Nancy, a malaprop-prone small-town Utah girl who can’t really act and has never performed Shakespeare.
—Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, 24 June 2018
Benson drew chuckles with his Benson Boogie — and with his malaprops.
—Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2018
The Guardian chose the Trump Twitter malaprop unpresidented.
—Stefan Fatsis, Slate Magazine, 3 Feb. 2017
Senator John Kerry in 2004 won laughs from a Democratic audience for mocking President George W. Bush’s halting speaking style and malaprops.
—Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2016
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'malaprop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Malaprop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malaprop. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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