incongruous
Americanadjective
-
out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming.
an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior.
- Synonyms:
- absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, unsuitable, discrepant
- Antonyms:
- appropriate, becoming
-
not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts.
an incongruous mixture of architectural styles.
- Synonyms:
- discordant, inharmonious
- Antonyms:
- consonant
-
inconsistent.
actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.
- Synonyms:
- contradictory, contrary
- Antonyms:
- consistent
adjective
-
incompatible with (what is suitable); inappropriate
-
containing disparate or discordant elements or parts
Related Words
See inconsistent.
Other Word Forms
- incongruously adverb
- incongruousness noun
Etymology
Origin of incongruous
First recorded in 1605–15, incongruous is from the Latin word incongruus “inconsistent.” See in- 3, congruous
Explanation
Something that's incongruous is inconsistent or incompatible with something else. Remember that Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the other"? They were talking about that one thing being incongruous. If we break it down into its Latin roots, incongruous is formed by adding in, meaning “not," to congruous, which means “suitable, proper.” So, something that is incongruous is "not suitable or proper" — in other words, not in harmony with everything else. That's why burping at the dinner table could be called incongruous behavior: it's not proper and certainly doesn't go well with the main course.
Vocabulary lists containing incongruous
Grade 10, List 2
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Brave New World
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is a somewhat incongruous location for a visit by Pope Leo who, like Francis, has prioritised the poor and marginalised.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
It seems completely incongruous a club the size of Rangers, its life spent under a gigantic microscope, could possibly move quietly into contention, but that's the reality.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
Julie is intended as a fairly good-natured, warmly attractive and decidedly incongruous gunslinger.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025
They called the place La Ciénega, a corruption of an Indigenous word and an incongruous name — the swamp — in a desert wasteland.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025
He was wearing a combat helmet, which looked incongruous with his fine sports clothes and Italian shoes.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
