as in unsuitable
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
a bathing suit is inappropriate dress for strolling the streets of this seaside village
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in wrongness
the quality or state of being unsuitable or unfitting
I cannot even begin to describe the inappropriateness of such language for the dinner table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfitness
the quality or state of not being socially proper
the inappropriateness of belching in a restaurant should have been apparent even to you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of inappropriate
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Madison police are investigating a 29-year-old teacher at Vel Phillips Memorial High School for having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to a release from the department.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The global strife caused such formal occasions—and fashions—to seem inappropriate.
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
His way of impatiently rebuffing Salome’s inappropriate advances is to give her singing lessons.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inappropriate
Adjective
Morgan pulled away quickly and continued in character without breaking stride, though the physical contact from the crowd was clearly inappropriate.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Madison police are investigating a 29-year-old teacher at Vel Phillips Memorial High School for having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to a release from the department.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The global strife caused such formal occasions—and fashions—to seem inappropriate.
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
His way of impatiently rebuffing Salome’s inappropriate advances is to give her singing lessons.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inappropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inappropriate
Adjective
-
He was accused of creating spectacle and of designing spaces unsuitable for art.—
Norman Foster,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Goan cobras are migrating to new and unsuitable habitats by train.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Perfection alienates; wrongness invites.—
Andrey Mir,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1940s and 50s, Pym’s spinsters had occupied a status of respectable wrongness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The real issue is Alvero’s unfitness for his office.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What the report found In response to the allegations in Minnesota, Abbott issued six directives to the state workforce and human services commissions to identify if Texas had a problem with improper payments, specifically with fraud.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Manufacturers, though, don’t have to comply if the breakdown is the result of neglect or improper modifications made by the consumer.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That, however, is nothing now compared to the far larger incorrectness of the rulers of a significant number of the most powerful nations on earth.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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Their sly and winning songwriting deftly embraced more than a wink-wink, nudge-nudge of shrewd parody and unabashed social incorrectness.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The store’s workers allegedly started showing the video to customers, which was interpreted by Pierce’s family as disrespect to the dead, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nevada County’s admission comes as AI programs are under close watch around the globe for introducing incorrect legal references in cases, yet also increasingly offered as tools to help lawyers and judges research and write their briefs, motions and opinions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No, the Heat would never go there, a flat-out, from-the-start commitment to lottery odds no matter the unseemliness of it all.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inappropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inappropriate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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