incongruous

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs How to pronounce incongruous (audio)
Definition of incongruousnext
1
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inconsistent
not being in agreement or harmony incongruous theories about the origins of matter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 incongruous Emde wandered ahead while King lagged behind at her usual tempo, which is uncommonly slow but projects incongruous urgency. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 There’s always one room in a home that feels somewhat incongruous. — Hannah Coates, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026 These incongruous people end up dying in the same dragon fire and looking the same way in a strangely intimate sort of pose. — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incongruous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incongruous
  1. inappropriate
  2. inconsistent
  3. unsuitable
  4. conflicting
  5. improper
  6. incorrect
  7. wrong
  8. unhappy
Adjective
  • When the employee told Gonzalez the questions were inappropriate, Gonzalez took a drink of beer and intentionally spat it onto the worker's arm.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • According to the lawsuit, this arrangement is inappropriate because immigration detention is civil, not criminal.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • The problems — an inconsistent pass rush, short-yardage struggles and too many penalties — have been glaring.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But Maryland’s climate goals have been ambiguous and inconsistent.
    — Alex Pavlak, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of inconsistent
Adjective
  • Such temperatures can rapidly compromise frozen inventory and make affected products unsuitable for consumption.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of unsuitable
Adjective
  • Aaron Kesselheim, a physician and a professor at Harvard Medical School, spent two weeks studying the conflicting results before the committee met, remotely, on November 6, 2020.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • To that end, Eaton cites ongoing litigation involving college athletes and former college athletes seeking to extend their collegiate careers, with conflicting court decisions, as evidence the topic raises debatable interpretations of the law.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of conflicting
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
  • Delay hydrangea pruning because cutting at the wrong time can eliminate next season’s blooms.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 5 Nov. 2026
  • On Wednesday, as the indexes were soaring, Jim Cramer had been warning that Wall Street's first reaction to the midterm Democratic wave might be wrong.
    — Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 5 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

incongruity
incongruous
incongruously
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Cite this Entry

“Incongruous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incongruous. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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