Meaning & use

malapropos

adjective·Advanced

Inappropriate or unsuitable for the particular time, place, or situation.

See it in a sentence

His malapropos joke at the funeral left the mourners stunned.

The committee dismissed her comment as malapropos to the discussion at hand.

A note on using this word

Malapropos can also function as an adverb meaning 'inopportunely'; it is rare and mainly literary.

Words with a similar meaning

inappropriateunsuitable

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

aptfitting

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