INAPPROPRIATE Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

inappropriate

adjective

ˌi-nə-ˈprō-prē-ət

Definition of inappropriate

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inappropriate Police also want parents to talk to their kids about how to recognize inappropriate behavior. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 The Star spoke to 11 current and former employees who have worked for Sanders and who all detailed various types of abuse and inappropriate behavior that had allegedly taken place at their workplace. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Fazio is trying to draw voters’ attention to back the inappropriate p-card spending by the former chancellor of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, who was removed but retained a well-paying faculty job. — Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026 El-Sayed later said the comment was inappropriate at the time. — Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inappropriate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inappropriate

Adjective

Guy acknowledges, though, that this could lead to the level of chaos depicted in a memorable 2009 episode of The Office, where staff show up in an array of unsuitable outfits.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
That could allow geothermal projects to operate in locations that have traditionally been considered unsuitable for geothermal development.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

Otherwise, every losing party would have an incentive to scour deliberations for something improper.

— Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Six additional citations — speeding, improper passing, failing to drive in a single lane, following too closely, failing to obey traffic control and running a red light — have been added to his charges.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of improper

Adjective

The agency produced excellent work against an incorrect brief, and nobody in the room knew the business well enough to say so.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Oxford and Ole Miss rolled out the unwelcome mat early in the week, starting Wednesday with a Lane Kiffen (incorrect spelling intentional) Roast at the Lyric Theater.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adjective

Who wouldn’t like to whip out a formula that enabled you to judge this action as evil and the other as merely wrong?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
The helicopter, which was used by NBC and Telemundo, crashed about two hours after police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck a vehicle before hitting the bus.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adjective

Advocates unhappy with California AG Media advocacy group Free Press criticized California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Such promotions on social media and elsewhere might trigger some unhappy conversations between taxpayers and legitimate tax professionals.

— Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

At the Premier League’s semi-regular meetings between heads of recruitment some have argued that the five-step process is outdated and unfit for purpose.

— Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
But in Meriwether’s hands, the show became a propulsive exploration of both women’s trauma and the misogynistic criminal justice system that’s unfit to deal with it.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of unfit

Adjective

Whether these stories are fictional or heightened for comic effect is irrelevant; Simmons-Patterson’s conversational delivery and sly smile are so magnetic that audiences want to spend time in his universe either way.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
The result of the game, a 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, was irrelevant.

— Tashan Reed, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026