inopportune
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does inopportune mean? Inopportune means inappropriate, unfavorable, or unsuitable for a particular situation or occasion. It can also mean coming at the wrong time. The terms untimely and poorly-timed mean the same thing. Inopportune is especially used in the phrases inopportune moment and inopportune time, meaning the moment that’s least suitable or favorable (for something to happen or be done). Inopportune is the opposite is opportune, which means appropriate, favorable, or suitable for a particular situation or occasion. It can also mean coming at the right time—timely or well-timed. Example: The audit was very inopportune—it came at the worst possible time.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inopportune
From the Late Latin word inopportūnus, dating back to 1525–35. See in- 3, opportune
Explanation
Since the meaning of "opportune" is "favorable" or "well-timed," it's easy to guess that the meaning of inopportune means something that is ill-timed or inappropriate. That little prefix in- means "not," and it totally turns the meaning of a word around. Think of the Latin word opportunus, which means "fitting" or "opportune." When you add in- in front of it, or any word, you give the word the opposite meaning. That's the history of the word inopportune, which has been used since the early 16th century to describe something that is "not fitting." For example, "She opened the door at an inopportune moment and saw him fire the gun." Bad timing? You bet. And very inopportune.
Vocabulary lists containing inopportune
Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" Speech
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 3
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The Underground Railroad
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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.
Christoph Bergs of Rusi said that while the timing was "inopportune", the countries involved now had a chance to "reassess" what they want given technological developments in recent years.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
So the AI race is a particularly inopportune time for Meta to face the risk of a big-tobacco moment in the future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
The latest letdown comes at an inopportune moment.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
Her prom dreams inch closer as her lies begin to mount and her new alabaster skin starts peeling off at extremely inopportune moments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
The visions had come more often since she entered the Wood, and sometimes they came at particularly inopportune moments.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
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.
