incongruous

[in-kong-groo-uhs]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incongruous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

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

inconsistent: actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.

Origin of incongruous

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

Related formsin·con·gru·ous·ly, adverbin·con·gru·ous·ness, noun

Can be confusedcongruous congruent incongruous incongruent

Synonyms for incongruous

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incongruous ON THESAURUS.COM

1. discrepant, unsuitable, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd. 2. inharmonious, discordant. 3. contrary, contradictory. See inconsistent.

Antonyms for incongruous

1. becoming, appropriate. 2. consonant. 3. consistent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for incongruously

separately, individually, variously, negatively, adversely, unusually, abnormally, antagonistically, antithetically, asymmetrically, conflictingly, contradictorily, contrarily, contrastingly, contrastively, discordantly, disparately, distinctively, divergently, diversely

Examples from the Web for incongruously

Contemporary Examples of incongruously

Incongruously, the sound system in the restaurant serenades diners with classical music.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market
Jane & Michael Stern
April 20, 2014
All of which makes Julie Chen an incongruously wonderful, androidesque host for the show.
12 Shows Wrongly Snubbed by the Emmy Awards
Shannon Donnelly
July 8, 2010
And the incongruously bright, cheerful Haitian sky surely is a winning backdrop.
All These Useless Doctors
Kent Sepkowitz
February 1, 2010

Historical Examples of incongruously

Barnes was incongruously named when he was given the name of Harry.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, No. 3, July 1908.
Various
For an instant, in mid-air, Joe was incongruously aware of all the noises in the Shed.
Space Platform
Murray Leinster
Then incongruously enough he smiled as he thought of the boy's breaking voice.
Yule Logs
Various
Talleyrand claims, not incongruously, that he acted in Napoleons true interest.
Talleyrand
Joseph McCabe
She looked up with an expression that struck him as incongruously triumphant.
The Builders
Ellen Glasgow

British Dictionary definitions for incongruously

incongruous

incongruent

adjective

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

containing disparate or discordant elements or parts

Derived Formsincongruously or incongruently, adverbincongruousness 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

Word Origin and History for incongruously

incongruous

adj.

1610s, from Latin incongruus "incongruous," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + congruus "fit, suitable" (see congruent). Related: Incongruously.