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

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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 The re-enactments bring up painful memories, but also an inappropriate and humorous side of Jolanda. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026 Seth Stoughton, a University of South Carolina law professor and former police officer, said the agent’s reaction to the bystander was inappropriate. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026 That’s also a movie where laughs come in inappropriate places, but Labute got the benefit of the doubt as an unknown with no corporate support. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026 It is now thought that investigators and mental health professionals used inappropriate and leading questions while interviewing the children. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inappropriate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inappropriate

Adjective

The Bears have said previously that they are focused on pursuing a $2 billion stadium across the state line in Hammond or in suburban Arlington Heights, and that the Rate Field site was unsuitable, citing in part its limited size.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
The combination of leverage, daily resets, volatility, financing costs and higher expense ratios can make these products unsuitable as long-term buy-and-hold investments.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

Cambridge Analytica, which was a political consulting firm, allegedly accessed the information of 87 million Facebook users in improper fashion.

— Julia Boorstin, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
He was signed to the practice squad last week, creating a huge uproar because of past allegations of improper behavior by Tucker from 16 massage therapists in Baltimore-area spas.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of improper

Adjective

During the 2022 midterm elections, independent observers from the Carter Center reported significant numbers of voters arriving at incorrect precincts, likely because of changes associated with redistricting.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
An earlier version of this story included an incorrect name and gender for the victim in the crash, based on information from the highway patrol.

— Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adjective

The first step is to ask the lender to reconsider the value if the appraisal overlooked a recent sale or got the details wrong.

— Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Schubarth said that statements from prosecutors that he was motivated to create a hybrid ram with giant horns in order to upsell to commercial shooting operations are wrong.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adjective

The electorate is frustrated and unhappy Voters were sour heading into Tuesday, with the midterm electorate deeply unhappy with the country’s direction and pessimistic about the future, according to The AP Voter Poll.

— Jill Colvin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Voting is the only way out for anyone who’s unhappy with a government headed toward authoritarianism.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

Pilots who feel fatigued or unfit to fly must report it and be removed from duty by the airline, according to the FAA.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
There is exactly no evidence that trans identity makes individuals unfit to serve, and this move is a clear escalation in the administration’s attempts to simply remove trans people from American life.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfit

Adjective

In Leipzig, Nelsons’ contribution to the Gewandhaus democracy weekend was no democracy at all, only an irrelevant program of Tchaikovsky and Dvorak standards.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
The arrangement of these nine numbers in the triangle is irrelevant.

— Heinrich Hemme, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026