SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
incongruity
noun
A mismatch or lack of agreement between things that are expected to fit together.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Mismatch or lack of fit
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAn incongruity stands out because it does not fit its setting or the elements around it.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See incongruity in use
The incongruity of elegant furniture in the abandoned shed intrigued the visitors.
A portrait in the next room placed a digital wristwatch on a character wearing clothing from an invented earlier century, making the watch deliberately anachronistic. Its incongruity drew attention because the small modern object did not fit the rest of the scene.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
- Princeton WordNet 3.0: selected lexical senses
- INCONGRUITY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
- INCONGRUOUS Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license