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
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Some praised the Hitch star for looking happy and returning to music, while others said that the onstage moment of attempting to kiss Martinez was inappropriate.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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Doing so discourages inappropriate behavior with clear sanctions that are duly communicated to the entire organization, while good behavior is rewarded.—
Susana Sierra,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Polar research and expeditions were considered inherently masculine endeavors unsuitable for women during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, which began in 1897 and lasted until 1922.—
Nicole Edenedo,
AFAR Media,
3 Mar. 2025
-
When the wildly unsuitable secretary of defense announces there will be 8% cuts in our military budget for each of the next five years, some weapons programs will be reduced or cancelled to meet that goal.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
From fiscal year 2015 to 2022, the Social Security Agency paid about $72 billion in improper payments, most of which were overpayments, the report noted.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Listen to this article The Orlando police officer involved in the high-speed chase that killed a bystander last month had previously been disciplined in at least three incidents, one involving improper use of force and two for vehicle crashes, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In housing, there are numerous examples of how incorrect data has led to adverse decisions affecting people’s lives.—
State Sen. James Maroney,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2025
-
But parents and activists say the numbers are incorrect since the campus consists of newer buildings, constructed decades after the school opened, and older buildings from 1957 that are used for storage, not instruction.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Notoriously indifferent to anyone on the wrong side of the 25-54 demo, advertisers eat this stuff up with a spork.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Recently, inflation has been moving in the wrong direction.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some are unhappy with the people executing his vision for a smaller government. 2️⃣ Soccer showcase: The 2026 World Cup is still more than a year away, but there are already big concerns over whether the host country is ready.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN,
6 Mar. 2025
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Independent distributors are unhappy with the growing percentage of royalty payments for their artists that are too low to be worth processing.—
Bill Rosenblatt,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Entering 2025, the club responded during the January transfer window by replacing players unfit for Fabregas' tactical system with ten new signings, including Maxence Caqueret (Lyon), Assane Diao (Real Betis) and Barcelona loanee Alex Valle.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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But both those cases were dismissed after he was found unfit to stand trial, said a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infelicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infelicitous. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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