Incongruous — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /(ˌ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs/ in·con·gru·ous

Meaning & Definition of Incongruous

Incongruous (adjective)

  1. lacking congruity
  2. not harmonious, incompatible
  3. not conforming, disagreeing

Incongruous (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation

    "there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece"

    similar: amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong, out of place, out of the way
    related: inopportune, unfortunate, unseasonable, untimely, extraneous, immaterial, inapplicable, irrelative, irrelevant, misbecoming, mismatched, incompatible, inconsistent, uncongenial, bad, naughty, sinful, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, banned, barred, disallowed, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, awkward, gauche, ungraceful, unacceptable, unsatisfactory
    opposite: appropriate, becoming, befitting, correct, decorous, felicitous, fit, fitting, genteel, happy, meet, proper, right, seemly, suitable
    near: fortunate, opportune, seasonable, timely, applicable, apposite, apropos, apt, germane, material, pat, pointed, relative, relevant, compatible, congenial, harmonious, allowed, authorized, permitted, approved, endorsed, kosher, licensed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, supported, acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, tolerable, commendable, creditable, exemplary, blameless, irreproachable, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant

  2. not being in agreement or harmony

    "incongruous theories about the origins of matter"

    similar: clashing, conflicting, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, incompatible, inconsistent, inconsonant, inharmonious, mutually exclusive, repugnant, at odds, at variance
    related: irreconcilable, antagonistic, antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, contradictory, contrary, diametric, opposing, opposite
    opposite: accordant, agreeing, compatible, concordant, conformable (to), congruent, congruous, consistent, consonant, correspondent (with or to), harmonious, nonconflicting
    near: akin, like, similar

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Incongruous

The most common words with a similar meaning to Incongruous:

amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong, clashing, conflicting, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, incompatible, inconsistent, inconsonant, inharmonious, mutually exclusive, repugnant, out of place, out of the way, at odds, at variance

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Incongruous

Words with the opposite meaning of Incongruous:

appropriate, becoming, befitting, correct, decorous, felicitous, fit, fitting, genteel, happy, meet, proper, right, seemly, suitable, accordant, agreeing, compatible, concordant, conformable (to), congruent, congruous, consistent, consonant, correspondent (with or to), harmonious, nonconflicting

Related Words for Incongruous

inopportune, unfortunate, unseasonable, untimely, extraneous, immaterial, inapplicable, irrelative, irrelevant, misbecoming, mismatched, uncongenial, bad, naughty, sinful, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, banned, barred, disallowed, forbidden, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, awkward, gauche, ungraceful, unacceptable

Near Antonyms of Incongruous

fortunate, opportune, seasonable, timely, applicable, apposite, apropos, apt, germane, material, pat, pointed, relative, relevant, congenial, allowed, authorized, permitted, approved, endorsed, kosher, licensed, sanctioned, abetted, encouraged, promoted, supported, acceptable, adequate, all right

Word Forms of Incongruous

Derived words: incongruously (adverb), incongruousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Incongruous

Late Latin incongruus, from Latin in- + congruus congruous

First known use: 1582

Frequently Asked Questions about Incongruous

What does "Incongruous" mean?

"Incongruous" means lacking congruity. As an adjective, it is defined as: lacking congruity. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Incongruous"?

Other words for "Incongruous" include amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incorrect and indecorous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Incongruous" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Incongruous"?

There are 76 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Incongruous". Common alternatives include amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incorrect, indecorous, inept and infelicitous.

What is the opposite of "Incongruous"?

Antonyms of "Incongruous" include appropriate, becoming, befitting, correct, decorous, felicitous, fit and fitting. Near antonyms include fortunate, opportune, seasonable and timely.

How do you use "Incongruous" in a sentence?

Examples of "Incongruous" in a sentence: "there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece"; "incongruous theories about the origins of matter".

Is "Incongruous" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Incongruous" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Incongruous"?

"Incongruous" is pronounced /(ˌ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs/ and divided into syllables as in·con·gru·ous.

What is the origin of the word "Incongruous"?

"Incongruous" comes from Late Latin incongruus, from Latin in- + congruus congruous. First known use: 1582.