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
-
In the video, Adams accuses the man of being inappropriate with a minor on Grindr, a LGBTQ+ dating and social networking app where the minimum age to make an account is 18.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Avoid anything offensive, violent or inappropriate.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Although recoveries occurred, the stock’s drastic declines underscore a volatility profile that is unsuitable for risk-averse investors.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The woman said robot vacuums are ideal for light maintenance if used frequently, but are unsuitable for vacuuming the entire apartment.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The lawsuit alleges faulty CCTV cameras and improper placement prevented the bridge operator from seeing Richard Dujardin.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
According to court documents, Williams would show the child pornography while the improper acts would take place.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
One persistent issue is hallucinations, where the AI fabricates information that may seem plausible but is factually incorrect.—
Sameer Ather,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The Directors Guild of America has advised its members that the WGA’s position is incorrect, and that they may be contractually obligated to perform such activities during a strike.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In other words, National Geographic was both right — and wrong.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
-
And if something goes really, really wrong, Miguel and I will head directly to the airport and take the next flight out.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
-
President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The 41-year-old was taken to the hospital after the flight landed and was later arrested on suspicion of being unfit for duty, per the statement.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Communication tools are a major friction point, with two-thirds of workers finding their current solutions unfit for purpose, and almost half perceiving them as designed exclusively for office staff.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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