infelicitous

[ in-fuh-lis-i-tuhs ]

adjective

1. inapt, inappropriate, or awkward; malapropos:

   an infelicitous remark.

2. not felicitous, happy, or fortunate; unhappy.

Other Words From

• infe·lici·tous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of infelicitous¹

First recorded in 1825–35; in- ³ + felicitous

Example Sentences

The former minister said his comments were "infelicitous" but "his concerns about Islamism are entirely legitimate" and he should not have been suspended from the party.

From BBC

It struck me as infelicitous at best that Aster’s “hero” should be “subjected” to the very sort of inner-city crime fantasy that so often misrepresents urban life in American pop culture.

From Los Angeles Times

An author of previous books on Wall Street, the Mafia and Ayn Rand, Weiss is sure-footed here, stepping around fading file boxes of legal material, with only occasional flights into infelicitous zoological metaphor.

From New York Times

However infelicitous the wording, he was making the point that the city’s broader economic infrastructure depended on white-collar workers showing up to support the satellite businesses of commercial districts.

From New York Times

In a letter to The Times of London, Mr. Dacre said the Civil Service had targeted him because of his right-of-center views, calling it his “infelicitous dalliance with the Blob.”

From New York Times