infelicity
noun
in·fe·lic·i·ty
ˌin-fi-ˈli-sə-tē 
plural infelicities
1
: the quality or state of being infelicitous
2
: something (such as a word or phrase) that is infelicitous
minor infelicities
Synonyms
Examples of infelicity in a Sentence
the infelicity of holiday decorations at a funeral home
Recent Examples on the Web
And that’s setting aside odd turns, factual infelicities and jokes that don’t land.
—
Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
There is the occasional infelicity in the book.
—William Fotheringham, WSJ, 16 July 2021
The Postcard is a somewhat strange book, not without the occasional infelicity of translation, almost experimental in its form.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2023
But the infelicities of the translation are of relatively minor concern.
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
The usual infelicities of intergenerational living — different standards of kitchen cleanliness, for example — set me on an edge that felt unwarranted.
—Mathina Calliope, Longreads, 3 Dec. 2019
And any fair examination of his record in office shows that these infelicities aren’t really relevant to a just evaluation of his performance.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 11 Sep. 2019
The book suffers from some infelicities: Alexander the Great is shown with two blue eyes, though he is said to have had one blue and one hazel, like David Bowie ; also, the samurai Tomoe Gozen fought a horde of attackers, not a hoard.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2018
There were some slight infelicities of ensemble playing at the beginnings of the slow movements, but otherwise this was a performance that was eager to draw the listener into communion with Copland’s affirmative spirit.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2018
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Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
There is the occasional infelicity in the book.
—William Fotheringham, WSJ, 16 July 2021
The Postcard is a somewhat strange book, not without the occasional infelicity of translation, almost experimental in its form.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2023
But the infelicities of the translation are of relatively minor concern.
—Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020
The usual infelicities of intergenerational living — different standards of kitchen cleanliness, for example — set me on an edge that felt unwarranted.
—Mathina Calliope, Longreads, 3 Dec. 2019
And any fair examination of his record in office shows that these infelicities aren’t really relevant to a just evaluation of his performance.
—Conrad Black, National Review, 11 Sep. 2019
The book suffers from some infelicities: Alexander the Great is shown with two blue eyes, though he is said to have had one blue and one hazel, like David Bowie ; also, the samurai Tomoe Gozen fought a horde of attackers, not a hoard.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2018
There were some slight infelicities of ensemble playing at the beginnings of the slow movements, but otherwise this was a performance that was eager to draw the listener into communion with Copland’s affirmative spirit.
—Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near infelicity
Cite this Entry
“Infelicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infelicity. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infelicity
noun
in·fe·lic·i·ty
ˌin-fi-ˈlis-ət-ē
plural infelicities
1
: a lack of suitability
2
: an inappropriate act or expression
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