incongruous

[ in-kong-groo-uhs ]
See synonyms for: incongruousincongruouslyincongruousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior.

  2. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts: an incongruous mixture of architectural styles.

  1. inconsistent: actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.

Origin of incongruous

1
First recorded in 1605–15, incongruous is from the Latin word incongruus “inconsistent.” See in-3, congruous

synonym study For incongruous

3. See inconsistent.

Other words for incongruous

Opposites for incongruous

Other words from incongruous

  • in·con·gru·ous·ly, adverb
  • in·con·gru·ous·ness, noun

Words that may be confused with incongruous

Words Nearby incongruous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use incongruous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for incongruous

incongruous

incongruent

/ (ɪnˈkɒŋɡrʊəs) /


adjective
  1. (when postpositive, foll by with or to) incompatible with (what is suitable); inappropriate

  2. containing disparate or discordant elements or parts

Derived forms of incongruous

  • incongruously or incongruently, adverb
  • incongruousness or incongruence, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012