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
-
There really isn’t anything inappropriate about our relationship.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
-
Perhaps the way the fictional characters behave is inappropriate, but that's what made the show so funny.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
As a result of the unsuitable conditions, Stevie was starving and dehydrated.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
-
There are significant worries that AI can readily go off the rails or otherwise dispense unsuitable or even egregiously inappropriate mental health advice.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sorsby and Texas Tech might also petition the NCAA to punish the Big 12 and other members for undermining a court order, improper conduct that the NCAA would ordinarily find problematic even if in this instance the NCAA is an adverse party to Sorsby.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
-
Federal authorities said the unsafe or improper use of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), can pose risks to aircraft, law enforcement operations and people on the ground.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The researchers calculated welfare losses from incorrect beliefs could potentially reach up to 43% of the initial loan balance in the most extreme cases, translating to roughly $21,500 on the median borrower’s $50,000 in debt.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
For example, many borrowers are getting incorrect estimates of what their bill would be on IBR, Rodriguez said.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the truth may be that Anthropic is wrong about Mythos’ dangers, and that the government is taking a drastic action that could potentially hurt the US in the technology race with China.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 June 2026
-
But it was soon revealed that the actors were given the wrong envelope by accountants from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the firm charged with counting Oscar votes, keeping the results secret and organizing and handing out envelopes to presenters.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The European Commission froze billions of euros in funds for Hungary in response to democratic backsliding led by Orbán, and concern lingers about the damage that can be done when one unhappy government insists on wielding its veto.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Social media is making children unhappy and is designed to be addictive, Starmer said at a press conference.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, said the investigation showed that Trump is unfit for office.—
Sophie Austin,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
His ensuing words were unfit for inclusion in this story.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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