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

Relevance

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 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 But sticking synthetic turf on one of the world’s most famous beaches struck some as incongruous, or worse. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026 This response would have been noticeably incongruous with the time, and it would certainly be read as the intentions with which it was likely written, as naming a kind of politics. — Literary Hub, 2 June 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
  • On the police's Facebook account on Tuesday, officers criticized inappropriate comments and warned that sharing or joking about such incidents can worsen the impact on any victim.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, pharmaceutical advertising or education aimed at doctors may also increase inappropriate prescribing, probably increases the number of prescriptions written, and may increase the costs of prescriptions.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, receiver Nyck Harbor and defensive end Dylan Stewart are rare specimens, yet each has been inconsistent and unreliable.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Alexa Plus is still inconsistent at executing more complicated requests.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of inconsistent
Adjective
  • In a setting designed to make exceptional yachts desirable, explaining why a particular vessel is unsuitable requires commercial discipline.
    — Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And the religious character of this language is by no means unsuitable to this project of science that was bathed in biblical metaphors from the get-go—Code name Trinity, to cite just one example.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsuitable
Adjective
  • The case is full of finger-pointing and conflicting testimony.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Much of this controversy remains misunderstood, including conflicting claims about the weapons’ origins and definition.
    — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of conflicting
Adjective
  • In 2024, its football program acknowledged impermissible recruiting contacts during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period, improper tryouts and unauthorized coaching by noncoaching staff.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The production was shut down in Livingston, Montana last Saturday when locals complained about the production’s impact on the Livingston food bank and improper warnings about hazardous stunts.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of improper
Adjective
  • What prevents an incorrect action from propagating into the physical process?
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The sports media rarely treats athletes who espouse liberal or progressive political views as problematic, even when those views are provocative, divisive, or factually incorrect.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of incorrect
Adjective
  • British police acknowledged applying for the warrants under the wrong statutory provision, the judge said while stipulating that the misconduct investigation against the king's brother could continue.
    — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Doctors in Tennessee and Republican state senators called for the state to pause executions, because the chances of one going catastrophically wrong were so high.
    — Maya Foa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Someone still must understand why that client is unhappy and rebuild confidence.
    — Adam Povlitz, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Even residents who are unhappy with most aspects of the rezoning admit that the studios were a win.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy

Browse Nearby Words

incongruity
incongruous
incongruously
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Incongruous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incongruous. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All