as in paradox
someone or something with qualities or features that seem to conflict with one another
she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 incongruity
In contemplating the religious system of the Aztecs, one is struck with its apparent incongruity, as if some portion of it had emanated from a comparatively refined people, open to gentle influences, while the rest breathes a spirit of unmitigated ferocity.
—
Sebastian Purcell
august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Recipe for a good joke A popular theory posits that most jokes consist of a mix of ambiguity, incongruity and a quick resolution of that incongruity.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Already concerned about the incongruity of having a comic yukking it up with what was happening with the AP and other outlets, the WHCA scrapped her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
That incongruity gave rise to what scholars have called the Kerala model, made famous by the economist Amartya Sen, who argued that the state showed that greater human development was not always dependent on economic growth.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruity
Sebastian Purcell
august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Recipe for a good joke A popular theory posits that most jokes consist of a mix of ambiguity, incongruity and a quick resolution of that incongruity.
—Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Already concerned about the incongruity of having a comic yukking it up with what was happening with the AP and other outlets, the WHCA scrapped her.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
That incongruity gave rise to what scholars have called the Kerala model, made famous by the economist Amartya Sen, who argued that the state showed that greater human development was not always dependent on economic growth.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incongruity
paradox
Noun
-
Virtual particles are a striking paradox of modern physics.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
That paradox is central to Swift’s gestalt.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incongruity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incongruity. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share