Synonyms of indecorous

indecorous

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈde-k(ə-)rəs 

as in inappropriate

not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation

an indecorous joke for a solemn moment in the marriage ceremony

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inappropriate
• improper
• unsuitable
• incorrect
• wrong
• unhappy
• unfit
• unseemly
• unbecoming
• irrelevant
• unfortunate
• infelicitous
• incongruous
• perverse
• graceless
• inapt
• out of place
• untoward
• amiss
• unacceptable
• inept
• out of the way
• inapposite
• unapt
• inconsistent
• malapropos
• awkward
• bad
• naughty
• inopportune
• unseasonable
• untimely
• extraneous
• immaterial
• sinful
• uncongenial
• inapplicable
• censurable
• incompatible
• forbidden
• mismatched
• irrelative
• ungraceful
• prohibited
• unsatisfactory
• blamable
• gauche
• blameworthy
• proscribed
• barred
• disallowed
• outlawed
• interdicted
• banned
• misbecoming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appropriate
• proper
• decorous
• suitable
• correct
• meet
• right
• fitting
• felicitous
• relative
• genteel
• becoming
• happy
• relevant
• timely
• apt
• fit
• applicable
• opportune
• seasonable
• fortunate
• congenial
• permitted
• material
• apposite
• harmonious
• seemly
• pointed
• compatible
• pat
• befitting
• authorized
• acceptable
• satisfactory
• adequate
• endorsed
• approved
• licensed
• sanctioned
• kosher
• fine
• promoted
• respectable
• germane
• tolerable
• supported
• allowed
• apropos
• all right
• decent
• creditable
• exemplary
• OK
• commendable
• encouraged
• passable
• balanced
• blameless
• irreproachable
• consonant
• abetted
• congruous
• companionate

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective indecorous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of indecorous are improper, indelicate, unbecoming, and unseemly. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

When could improper be used to replace indecorous?

While in some cases nearly identical to indecorous, improper applies to a broader range of transgressions of rules not only of social behavior but of ethical practice or logical procedure or prescribed method.

improper use of campaign contributions

When is indelicate a more appropriate choice than indecorous?

Although the words indelicate and indecorous have much in common, indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

Where would unbecoming be a reasonable alternative to indecorous?

In some situations, the words unbecoming and indecorous are roughly equivalent. However, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

When might unseemly be a better fit than indecorous?

The meanings of unseemly and indecorous largely overlap; however, unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste.

remarried with unseemly haste

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of indecorous

Still, the quips here feel both recycled and indecorous, as if misogyny and the #MeToo Movement are just ideas to laugh at. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026

This was likewise interpreted by some as an indecorous gesture of thanks aimed at corporate sponsors. —Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Australian screenwriter McNamara’s comic sensibilities are more in line with English than American humor — which brings the plus of scathing wit, if also the minus of a certain decorum even in outbursts of indecorous fury. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025

The massive tag is gone now but something just as indecorous seems likely to replace it. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024

With round-the-clock musicians, magicians, comedians, blue men and white Bengal tigers, the Strip became the premier global destination not just for indecorous gambling, but also for family-friendly entertainment. —Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024

Now five seasons old, The Constructivists also have taken a step up in ambition by casting local veteran James Pickering as David, the latest in a run of wild, unhinged and indecorous old men the septuagenarian has brought to life on stage. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2023

Even a white-collar defendant’s photograph of himself holding a baseball bat next to a prosecutor’s photo might be easily dismissed as indecorous, but free, speech. —Elliot Williams, CNN, 10 Apr. 2023

There was a palpable undercurrent of dissatisfaction among offensive players – grumbling about the predictability of the offense and what looked like indecorous snickering when the locker room opened. —Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022