Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective indelicate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of indelicate are improper, indecorous, unbecoming, and unseemly. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

When might improper be a better fit than indelicate?

The meanings of improper and indelicate largely overlap; however, 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 can indecorous be used instead of indelicate?

In some situations, the words indecorous and indelicate are roughly equivalent. However, indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

In what contexts can unbecoming take the place of indelicate?

While the synonyms unbecoming and indelicate are close in meaning, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

When is it sensible to use unseemly instead of indelicate?

The words unseemly and indelicate can be used in similar contexts, but 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 indelicate The pair also sparred on a more indelicate campaign trail moment. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024 In its first two seasons, viewers have gone on transcontinental journeys, including an indelicate hotel manager in Hawaii and a strange love square in Italy. Shivani Gonzalez, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025 Advertisement The president-elect’s style — brash, indelicate and pugilistic — is distilled in his son. Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024 The pair also sparred on a more indelicate campaign trail moment. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for indelicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indelicate
Adjective
  • The banning of a Chicago White Sox fan from Rate Field for inappropriate heckling of Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was a good first step, writes Paul Sullivan.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
  • Still, Hinge, as part of Match Group, is using AI for coaching features that help users improve their profile, choose better photos, and filter inappropriate messages before they’re sent.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Before then, an officer could only cite you for using your phone after you had been pulled over for another offense, such as speeding or an improper lane change.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
  • In 2023, auditors found A1’s Frederick County branch engaged in improper scheduling and monitoring.
    Glynis Kazanjian, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Hegseth’s indiscreet texts also pose serious intelligence risks.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • If this text had been received by someone hostile to American interests—or someone merely indiscreet, and with access to social media—the Houthis would have had time to prepare for what was meant to be a surprise attack on their strongholds.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Ultimately, the film hammers home that this klutzy, tactless new man in town is first and foremost a voyeur — which is where most of the taboo shattering comes in.
    Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
  • Tapper believes conservatives were proven correct in their harsh and at times tactless assessments of Biden’s condition, which clearly worsened in 2023 after his son Hunter faced the possibility of a prison sentence when a plea deal on tax and gun charges fell apart.
    Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • So maybe use the feelings aroused by your sister-in-law’s thoughtless, certainly injudicious, possibly naughty remark as an opportunity to rise above.
    James Parker, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024
  • What The Meng Episode Means (1): Is Huawei A Tool of The CCP? Meng’s release, and injudicious remarks, do not bode well for Huawei.
    George Calhoun, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021
Adjective
  • The driver was cited for careless driving causing bodily injury, which is a misdemeanor traffic offense, according to state law.
    Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 4 June 2025
  • Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 79, the alleged operator of the boat that struck the teen, has been charged with two misdemeanors for careless operation of a vessel, according to the FWC.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Continually placing financial stress on our hospitals and denying consistent, desperately needed care to undocumented individuals is financially imprudent—and morally bankrupt.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
  • Still, in a world where there are not enough safeguards to keep the United States from entering imprudent wars, such legal reforms could serve the twin goals of conflict prevention and democratic accountability.
    Stephen Pomper, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2021
Adjective
  • Cover-ups are inadvisable, however well meant, because the erosion of trust only compounds.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
  • Though magnesium hydroxide is a safe choice to treat temporary constipation symptoms, using too much of it is inadvisable.
    Alex Yampolsky, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indelicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indelicate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on indelicate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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