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
That grid revision unfortunately resulted in some infelicitous words being added to the puzzle.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
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
That grid revision unfortunately resulted in some infelicitous words being added to the puzzle.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
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
-
Satisfied that there may have indeed been inappropriate action on the part of the veteran Karate Kid actor, Sony addressed Kove directly.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
-
Walking the Talk as a Role Model Too many leaders assume organizational rules don't apply to them, creating double standards and rationalizing inappropriate behavior.—
Joseph Folkman,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Washing Windows Cleaning windows works best in good lighting to achieve a streak-free finish, making nighttime an unsuitable time for the task.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2025
-
Directed by Joseph Kahn, the clip features guest appearances from Marlon Lundgren Garcia and MrBeast, who play unsuitable prospects for the singer.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
16 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
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Consider a car engine: Removing deposits and sludge (inaccurate, outdated, irrelevant and incorrect information) reduces friction, while clean oil (large language models and AI) ensures smooth performance.—
Savinay Berry,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Belief in other scientifically incorrect claims can be extremely dangerous.—
Mark Boslough,
Scientific American,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Using the wrong cleaners, such as ammonia and glass cleaner, can cause permanent streaks and damage.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 June 2025
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Effective leaders recognize that different doesn’t mean wrong.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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The root of the fallout was the Who (and specifically Daltrey) being unhappy with Starkey’s performance when the band played a pair of Teenage Cancer Trust charity shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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On Friday, Devers alluded to being unhappy with how the Red Sox treated him.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for future and current truck drivers after President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying truckers who don’t read and speak the language proficiently would be considered unfit for service.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
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These board members have betrayed the public trust and shown themselves to be unfit to govern the district.—
Jay Steiger,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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