SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
incongruous
adjective
Out of keeping with the surrounding context or lacking harmony.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Out of keeping
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topIncongruous emphasizes a noticeable mismatch with context, which need not be morally wrong.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See incongruous in use
A bright plastic chair looked incongruous in the solemn antique room.
For an exhibition about everyday writing, Selim assembled an eclectic collection of notebooks, shopping lists, postcards, and handwritten signs. He did not want a homogeneous display in which every object looked as though it came from the same desk. One polished metal trophy, however, seemed incongruous beside the paper objects because its connection to writing was unexplained.
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.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license