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

But viral advertising based on an infelicitous turn of phrase is not something Filexec is interested in, Chavez said.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps these circumstances gave the locality its infelicitous reputation.

From Project Gutenberg

It is by no means an uncommon one, not to say that I have a singularly infelicitous memory for people's names.

From Project Gutenberg

To one who has seen the great Japanese fleur-de-lis, France looks ludicrously infelicitous in her choice of emblem.

From Project Gutenberg

But for a few infelicitous accidents, this would have been the case of the late liberation of Quinquinambo.

From Project Gutenberg

Infelicitous at home, these worrying people are almost more than flesh and blood can bear as travelling companions abroad.

From Project Gutenberg