infelicitous

[ in-fuh-lis-i-tuhs ]

/ ˌɪn fəˈlɪs ɪ təs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for infelicitous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

inapt, inappropriate, or awkward; malapropos: an infelicitous remark.

not felicitous, happy, or fortunate; unhappy.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of infelicitous

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

OTHER WORDS FROM infelicitous

in·fe·lic·i·tous·ly, adverb

Words nearby infelicitous

infectious hepatitis, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious mononucleosis, infective, infecund, infelicitous, infelicity, infer, inference, inferencing, inferential

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use infelicitous in a sentence

But viral advertising based on an infelicitous turn of phrase is not something Filexec is interested in, Chavez said.
‘Binders Full of Women’ Invades Amazon.com|Matthew DeLuca|October 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps these circumstances gave the locality its infelicitous reputation.
Legends and Tales|Bret Harte
It is by no means an uncommon one, not to say that I have a singularly infelicitous memory for people's names.
Barrington|Charles James Lever
To one who has seen the great Japanese fleur-de-lis, France looks ludicrously infelicitous in her choice of emblem.
The Soul of the Far East|Percival Lowell

But for a few infelicitous accidents, this would have been the case of the late liberation of Quinquinambo.
The Crusade of the Excelsior|Bret Harte
Infelicitous at home, these worrying people are almost more than flesh and blood can bear as travelling companions abroad.
The Girl of the Period and Other Social Essays, Vol. II (of 2)|Eliza Lynn Linton

British Dictionary definitions for infelicitous

infelicitous

/ (ˌɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs) /

adjective

not felicitous; unfortunate

inappropriate or unsuitable

Derived forms of infelicitous

infelicitously, adverb

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

infelicitous

Origin of infelicitous

OTHER WORDS FROM infelicitous

Words nearby infelicitous

Words related to infelicitous

How to use infelicitous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for infelicitous

Derived forms of infelicitous