Synonyms of apt

apt

adjective

ˈapt 

1

as in prone

having a tendency to be or act in a certain way

that dog is apt to run off if you don't put him on a leash

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prone
• inclined
• willing
• tending
• liable
• choosing
• preferring
• given
• minded
• likely
• disposed
• predisposed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unwilling
• loath
• averse
• loth
• indisposed
• disinclined
• loathe

2

as in suitable

meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation

"gingerbread" is certainly an apt description for that house with all the ornate trim

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suitable
• appropriate
• fitting
• proper
• fitted
• fit
• good
• happy
• pretty
• right
• adequate
• felicitous
• applicable
• meet
• in order
• becoming
• needed
• acceptable
• befitting
• balanced
• able
• required
• deserved
• satisfactory
• capable
• justified
• decorous
• competent
• just
• decent
• qualified
• correct
• requisite
• serviceable
• trained
• tolerable
• rightful
• condign
• respectable
• seemly
• kosher
• congruous
• harmonious
• pitch-perfect
• consonant
• cut out
• companionate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wrong
• improper
• inappropriate
• unsuitable
• unfit
• inapplicable
• unhappy
• inapt
• incongruous
• unseemly
• incapable
• unfitting
• unbecoming
• inadequate
• indecent
• incompetent
• inapposite
• unqualified
• unskilled
• untrained
• infelicitous
• unsatisfactory
• unapt
• inept
• unacceptable
• intolerable
• inexpert
• unmeet
• unskillful
• malapropos
• unbeseeming
• incorrect
• indecorous
• misbecoming
• incompatible
• graceless
• uncongenial

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective apt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of apt are appropriate, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than apt?

While in some cases nearly identical to apt, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When can felicitous be used instead of apt?

The words felicitous and apt can be used in similar contexts, but felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

In what contexts can fit take the place of apt?

In some situations, the words fit and apt are roughly equivalent. However, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When might fitting be a better fit than apt?

While the synonyms fitting and apt are close in meaning, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to apt?

The words happy and apt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When would meet be a good substitute for apt?

The meanings of meet and apt largely overlap; however, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When could proper be used to replace apt?

Although the words proper and apt have much in common, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When is it sensible to use suitable instead of apt?

The synonyms suitable and apt are sometimes interchangeable, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of apt

In many ways, that is an apt reflection of the player’s broader football experience — a late bloomer who has had to dig deep into his reserves of willpower and work ethic to break through barriers time and again. —Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 25 July 2025

Gibson didn’t need much to paint a world—just a small number of apt metaphors, cast in plain but tender language. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 16 July 2025

Perhaps that’s why Hook’s japes hold a kernel of wisdom; the knowledge that when all else fails, finding the fun in absurd chaos (say, on a quiet London street) is an apt response to a chaotic world. —Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 16 July 2025

The Diplomat landed its second and third Emmy nominations Tuesday, including one in the Outstanding Drama Series category, which creator Debora Cahn says couldn’t have come at a more apt time. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 15 July 2025