Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective indecorous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of indecorous are improper, indelicate, unbecoming, and unseemly. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

When could improper be used to replace indecorous?

While in some cases nearly identical to indecorous, improper applies to a broader range of transgressions of rules not only of social behavior but of ethical practice or logical procedure or prescribed method.

improper use of campaign contributions

When is indelicate a more appropriate choice than indecorous?

Although the words indelicate and indecorous have much in common, indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

Where would unbecoming be a reasonable alternative to indecorous?

In some situations, the words unbecoming and indecorous are roughly equivalent. However, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

When might unseemly be a better fit than indecorous?

The meanings of unseemly and indecorous largely overlap; however, unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste.

remarried with unseemly haste

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 indecorous The massive tag is gone now but something just as indecorous seems likely to replace it. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 With round-the-clock musicians, magicians, comedians, blue men and white Bengal tigers, the Strip became the premier global destination not just for indecorous gambling, but also for family-friendly entertainment. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Now five seasons old, The Constructivists also have taken a step up in ambition by casting local veteran James Pickering as David, the latest in a run of wild, unhinged and indecorous old men the septuagenarian has brought to life on stage. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2023 Even a white-collar defendant’s photograph of himself holding a baseball bat next to a prosecutor’s photo might be easily dismissed as indecorous, but free, speech. Elliot Williams, CNN, 10 Apr. 2023 There was a palpable undercurrent of dissatisfaction among offensive players – grumbling about the predictability of the offense and what looked like indecorous snickering when the locker room opened. Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022 Both Diaz and Daichendt are old enough to remember the days when these cultures were seen as indecorous and even dangerous. San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2022 Hurston often ran afoul of her contemporaries because of her indecorous proclamations. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2022 However indecorous her comments, those facts take her commentary out of the purview of the school district. Arkansas Online, 2 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecorous
Adjective
  • That’s as the league continues its investigation of longtime Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who was accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists as part of an investigation by The Baltimore Banner.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Herro was asked this as well: Is the type of the comment that Garland made inappropriate for a player to say about another player?
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Courts and Compliance In terms of the legal battles over Trump's moves, people widely rejected the administration's accusations of improper judicial interference.
    Gary Langer, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Graham was arrested shortly before 4:45 p.m. and charged with engaging police in pursuit, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, improper use of a marker plate, operation without minimum insurance, unsafe passing and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Olivia Heller/The Hustle For-profit developers, for one thing, often find church and synagogue properties unsuitable for redevelopment.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Such glues and taped seams make Gore-tex jackets unsuitable for chemical recycling.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Many patients walk away with incorrect prescriptions.
    Kaitlyn Gomez, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
  • If a player guesses incorrect groups of words four times, the game ends, and they are defeated.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But even one in three Republicans said their cost of living was on the wrong track, according to the poll, which surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults nationwide between April 16 and April 21.
    Jason Lange, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Department of Justice lawyers accidentally sent the wrong letter to a judge, admitting weaknesses in their case against New York City’s congestion pricing.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Particularly now that Americans are unhappy with the state of economy.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Some 59% of voters are unhappy with how things are going in the country.
    Dana Blanton, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Indecorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecorous. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on indecorous

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