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
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
As in video games, the action is lurid, hyperkinetic, and gruesomely violent, with nods to Grand Theft Auto and a comparably infelicitous treatment of the few women characters who show up.
—Chicago Reader, 12 Oct. 2017
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
As in video games, the action is lurid, hyperkinetic, and gruesomely violent, with nods to Grand Theft Auto and a comparably infelicitous treatment of the few women characters who show up.
—Chicago Reader, 12 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infelicitous
Adjective
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This means exposing the shoulders, showing too much leg above the knees, or wearing clothing with crude or inappropriate imagery.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
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Section 5 would've set new terms for challenging material that anyone may find inappropriate, and ultimately vest public local officials with the power to issue a final ruling on the dispute.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This closeness causes gravitational instability that existing planetary formation models have suggested should result in an environment unsuitable for planet formation.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
They were placed there by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after being deemed unsuitable for wild release.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Graf sided with a defense motion arguing the sheriff's office joint filing with the prosecution was procedurally improper, but did not make a decision about whether to issue a blanket ban on photography and video recording in the courtroom or hold certain hearings remotely.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Hospitals, according to the suit, submitted such claims and were the recipients of these improper payments.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information, and the story has been updated.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
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Terrebonne resident Emmanuelle Bossé told public broadcaster CBC Radio-Canada in May her ballot was returned to sender because of an incorrect postal code on the return envelope provided by the national elections commission.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Watters said letting visitors toss vegetables through the fence could send the wrong message, normalizing the idea of being close enough to feed a bear.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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New York Giants star rookie running back Cam Skattebo was the talk of the NFL world on Sunday for all the wrong reasons after going down with what appears to be a season-ending leg or ankle injury in the team's Week 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Following Dombrowski’s comments and his belief that Harper is unhappy with his current contract situation, Sherman opened the door to a potential offseason trade that sends Harper elsewhere.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
People who will be sent there include those who let their poor unhappy doggies bark endlessly, those who throw trash on the beach and those who hunt exotic animals for sport.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, if temperatures fluctuate unpredictably, going below or above the average, all the low-var animals will be unfit and unable to pass on their genes.—
Shraddha Lall,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
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But rivals like former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and former California State Controller Betty Yee are already framing her as unfit for office.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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