1
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inconsistent
not being in agreement or harmony
incongruous theories about the origins of matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incongruous
The property is sprawling and gerrymandered, carved into incongruous shapes by apartment complexes and single-family homes.
—
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s an enormous, juicy, somewhat incongruous burger that does a very solid job of being an enormous, juicy burger.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2025
The buildings are beautiful and tranquil but fundamentally incongruous (modern architecture mixed with bits of decaying monasteries, gathered from meadows in Catalonia and France).
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
That seemed as incongruous a combination as a nightingale harmonizing with an alley cat.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruous
Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Feb. 2025
There’s an enormous, juicy, somewhat incongruous burger that does a very solid job of being an enormous, juicy burger.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2025
The buildings are beautiful and tranquil but fundamentally incongruous (modern architecture mixed with bits of decaying monasteries, gathered from meadows in Catalonia and France).
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
That seemed as incongruous a combination as a nightingale harmonizing with an alley cat.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incongruous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incongruous
Adjective
-
Mickey Rourke was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother UK house after further usage of inappropriate language.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Lewin has insisted there was nothing inappropriate about this visit.—
Nick Tabor,
Curbed,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Even so, the practice of choosing a papal name remained inconsistent for the next 1,000 years, with most popes using their baptismal names.—
Christopher Watson,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
-
After an inconsistent first half of the season, manager Unai Emery has found a way of tinkering with Villa’s line-up and still winning.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Olivia Heller/The Hustle For-profit developers, for one thing, often find church and synagogue properties unsuitable for redevelopment.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Such glues and taped seams make Gore-tex jackets unsuitable for chemical recycling.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That gross number ignores the economic impact of tariffs and glosses over Trump’s conflicting goals.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
There are conflicting reports about the influencer's background in golf.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Instances of fraud and other types of improper payments at SSA—particularly in the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance program—are modest compared with other federal agencies, per a Government Accountability Office report.—
Doug Criscitello,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Pakistani-Indian restaurant was issued a yellow placard for storing spoiled food and keeping food in improper containers.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Times' then-editorial page editor, James Bennet, who had inserted the incorrect claims into the passage, wrote an apology that was posted to the opinion section's social media account.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Specifically, the extension payment date for taxpayers who log into the IRS website is incorrect.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Five justices said the lawsuit was brought in the wrong venue.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
His interrogator conceded that the police must have gotten the wrong guy and released him within weeks.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite his close relationship with Trump, Elon Musk is unhappy about tariffs, which stand to hurt the business empire of the world’s richest man.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
There have even been reports of police being called to deal with the rowdy behavior, not to mention some theater employees who are unhappy about the cleanup required.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incongruous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incongruous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share