incongruous

adjective

in·​con·​gru·​ous (ˌ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs 

: lacking congruity: such as

a

: not harmonious : incompatible

incongruous colors

b

: not conforming : disagreeing

conduct incongruous with principle

c

: inconsistent within itself

an incongruous story

d

: lacking propriety : unsuitable

incongruous manners

incongruously adverb

incongruousness noun

Did you know?

Incongruous is a spin-off of its antonym, congruous, which means "in agreement, harmony, or correspondence." Etymologists are in agreement about the origin of both words: they trace to the Latin congruus, from the verb congruere, which means "to come together" or "to agree." The dates of these words' first uses in English match up pretty well, too. Both words are first known to have appeared in English in the early 1580s.

Synonyms

• amiss
• graceless
• improper
• inapposite
• inappropriate
• inapt
• incorrect
• indecorous
• inept
• infelicitous
• malapropos
• perverse
• unapt
• unbecoming
• unfit
• unhappy
• unseemly
• unsuitable
• untoward
• wrong

Examples of incongruous in a Sentence

There is something incongruous about Oslo. —Hugh C. McDonald, The Hour of the Blue Fox, 1975

… it would be as incongruous to meet her at the end of a chapter as it would be to see the dawn break in the west … —Herman Wouk, Aurora Dawn, 1947

He ate enormously, with a zest which seemed incongruous with his spare frame. —Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, 1915

His outburst seemed incongruous to those who know him well.

there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece

Recent Examples on the Web

None of these stories or approaches ever feel incongruous with one another, or with the overall project. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024

Back in 2017, a plucky young singer named Billie Eilish burst onto the scene, equipped with haunting vocals, sharp lyrics, and a totally incongruous personal style. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024

But the deep plunge of her gown’s neckline and the provenance of the Renaissance-style cross has divided opinion online, with some arguing the risqué cut feels incongruous with the religious symbol. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024

Of all the many cultural products that the United Kingdom has exported to the United States—Aston Martins, Doc Martens, Burberry coats, Cadbury chocolates, a lingering and historically incongruous fascination with the Royal Family—my favorite by far are first-rate fantasy novels for children. —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin incongruus, from Latin in- + congruus congruous

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

incongruous

adjective

in·​con·​gru·​ous (ˈ)in-ˈkäŋ-grə-wəs 

: not harmonious, suitable, or proper

incongruous colors

incongruity

ˌin-kən-ˈgrü-ət-ē

-ˌkän-

noun

incongruously

(ˈ)in-ˈkaŋ-grə-wəs-lē

adverb

incongruousness noun