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 phrasing was indelicate, but the idea that Canada lacks a cohesive identity is not a novel proposition. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025 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
  • Production on the star's prior film, Being Mortal, was suspended by Searchlight Pictures in 2022 after a staffer filed a complaint against actor Bill Murray, alleging inappropriate behavior.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
  • While Roblox has filters and moderation, kids can still be exposed to inappropriate language, scams, or unsafe conversations.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In that appeal, prosecutors are asking the Supreme Court to give them permission to appeal the order for a new trial, which prosecutors contend was improper.
    Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025
  • However, there’s one critical aspect that most startups tend to overlook—the high rate of failure due to improper data governance.
    Jagadish Gokavarapu, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Residents complained to the British press about the associated inconvenience, recounting road closures (leading to, gasp, wet crops), bad American driving, and an indiscreet Secret Service presence.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Hegseth’s indiscreet texts also pose serious intelligence risks.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
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
  • Pam Anderson wasn’t a bad girl, per se, just a bit injudicious.
    John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2022
Adjective
  • For instance, an officer or insurance adjuster might claim your lack of footwear contributed to reckless or careless driving, and the matter could even be brought up in court or during an insurance review.
    Georgea Kovanis, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • This Earth sign can be quite the perfectionist, preferring order and discernment over anything remotely vague and careless.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Huger was ultimately charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
    Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The upshot is that trying to sidestep the riddle of how to cope with AI’s compassionate intelligence is imprudent.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • Doing anything to affect his production at the plate would be inadvisable.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
  • Cover-ups are inadvisable, however well meant, because the erosion of trust only compounds.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indelicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indelicate. Accessed 9 Sep. 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!