as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
an infelicitous comment on the weight of the guest of honor at the banquet
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Recent Examples of infelicitous
Listen to the tone of each, and for any buzz or hum or anything else infelicitous.
—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
Notwithstanding infelicitous boasting, Trump is a man of his word who will scrupulously honor his oath of office.
—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Nov. 2024
Even so, the impulse to nationalize the problem will have its own, infelicitous effects.
—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2024
Film-school student Haynes always imitates better directors — Fassbinder’s social melodrama, Joseph Losey’s studies of decadence (pilfering the infelicitous piano score from Losey’s The Go-Between, from 1971).
—
Armond White,
National Review,
10 Jan. 2024
Dallas American politics lately feels like an endless game of—pardon the infelicitous word—delegitimation.
—
Barton Swaim,
wsj.com,
18 Apr. 2023
The New York bill would implement a concept called extended producer responsibility, an incredibly infelicitous recycling term.
—
Michael Kimmelman,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2021
Despite the infelicitous coincidence of the election date with Easter — which would normally have been expected to depress turnout — turnout actually ticked slightly upward from recent contests, to 67 percent.
—
Amy Erica Smith,
Vox,
2 Apr. 2018
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
Notwithstanding infelicitous boasting, Trump is a man of his word who will scrupulously honor his oath of office.
—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Nov. 2024
Even so, the impulse to nationalize the problem will have its own, infelicitous effects.
—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2024
Film-school student Haynes always imitates better directors — Fassbinder’s social melodrama, Joseph Losey’s studies of decadence (pilfering the infelicitous piano score from Losey’s The Go-Between, from 1971).
—
Armond White,
National Review,
10 Jan. 2024
Dallas American politics lately feels like an endless game of—pardon the infelicitous word—delegitimation.
—
Barton Swaim,
wsj.com,
18 Apr. 2023
The New York bill would implement a concept called extended producer responsibility, an incredibly infelicitous recycling term.
—
Michael Kimmelman,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2021
Despite the infelicitous coincidence of the election date with Easter — which would normally have been expected to depress turnout — turnout actually ticked slightly upward from recent contests, to 67 percent.
—
Amy Erica Smith,
Vox,
2 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infelicitous
Adjective
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Realbotix said the platform includes education-specific safety controls, district oversight, and safeguards designed to prevent inappropriate responses.
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That meant that anybody who’s doing anything that could be called terrorism, including eco terrorists, however inappropriate the term, was going to be a target.
Adjective
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In 2023 the agency documented signs of stress in sloths during public encounters, improper handling of a juvenile kangaroo and environmental conditions deemed unsuitable for a sloth’s care.
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As a result of the unsuitable conditions, Stevie was starving and dehydrated.
Adjective
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Experts say a lack of access to information and improper staff training are major barriers for blind travelers.
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Although Ashley had alleged things like malice, ill-will and improper motives by Adam, that still fell short of proving that Adam knew that his statements were false.
Adjective
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Govern From Day One In a regulated context, an assistant that produces a confident but incorrect answer carries genuine regulatory and reputational exposure.
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Many argue that signatures are invalid because signers listed incorrect addresses or live outside of the district the candidate wants to represent.
Adjective
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Tom Kim dropped two shots at the wrong time and shot 72.
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Every traveler has a trip that went spectacularly wrong.
Adjective
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Isdin Melatonik If traditional retinoids have left your sensitive skin unhappy, Isdin's Melatonik Recovery Night Serum offers a gentler approach with bakuchiol.
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Brown and the Celtics have both since denied speculation that the 29-year-old second-team All-NBA selection was unhappy with his role in Boston.
Adjective
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There are worse strategies, but perhaps the unfit 18-year-old can’t do it all himself.
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The plan to buy large warehouses unfit for human habitation and spend millions more to convert them to prisons sparked nationwide backlash and pointed resistance in Social Circle and Oakwood.
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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