Meaning & use
inappropriate
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not right or suitable for a particular time, place or situation.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb, often with for or to: inappropriate for children.
Patterns
- inappropriate for someone
- inappropriate for something
- inappropriate to do something
Jeans would be inappropriate for a formal dinner.
It is inappropriate to check your phone during a funeral.
The teacher said the joke was inappropriate for class.
adjectivecomparableeuphemistic
Offending against accepted standards of behavior, often in a sexual or disrespectful way.
Grammar: A softer way to criticize behavior without naming it directly.
Patterns
- inappropriate behavior
- inappropriate comments
He was fired for inappropriate comments at work.
The manager reported inappropriate behavior to HR.
Parents complained about inappropriate language in the show.
Word forms
| comparative | more inappropriate |
|---|---|
| superlative | most inappropriate |
Common combinations
- inappropriate behavior
- The school takes inappropriate behavior seriously.
- wholly inappropriate
- His reply was wholly inappropriate.
- inappropriate for children
- The film is inappropriate for children.
- deemed inappropriate
- The photo was deemed inappropriate and removed.
- inappropriate comment
- She apologized for her inappropriate comment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unsuitable
- Unsuitable is plainer and says something does not fit a purpose, without a moral judgment.
- improper
- Improper is more formal and old-fashioned, and often hints at breaking rules or manners.
- unseemly
- Unseemly suggests a lack of dignity or good taste, and is more literary.
- out of place
- Out of place is casual and says something does not belong, with less criticism.
Opposites
Word family
- appropriate adjective
- suitable for a situation
- inappropriately adverb
- in an unsuitable way
- inappropriateness noun
- the quality of being unsuitable
- appropriately adverb
- in a suitable way
Commonly confused: inappropriate or inapt?
inappropriate vs inapt
Inapt means not fitting or clumsy, and it is far less common than inappropriate.
Practice
It would be ___ to wear flip-flops to a job interview at a law firm.
Choose one answer.
Inappropriate means not suitable for the situation, which fits flip-flops at a formal interview. Impractical means not sensible in practice, which is a tempting but different idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inappropriate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.