Definition of INCONGRUOUS (original) (raw)
: lacking congruity: such as
c
: inconsistent within itself
Did you know?
Incongruous is a spin-off of its antonym, congruous, which means "in agreement, harmony, or correspondence." Etymologists are in agreement about the origin of both words: they trace to the Latin congruus, from the verb congruere, which means "to come together" or "to agree." The dates of these words' first uses in English match up pretty well, too. Both words are first known to have appeared in English in the early 1580s.
Synonyms
Examples of incongruous in a Sentence
There is something incongruous about Oslo. —
Hugh C. McDonald, The Hour of the Blue Fox, 1975 … it would be as incongruous to meet her at the end of a chapter as it would be to see the dawn break in the west … —Herman Wouk, Aurora Dawn, 1947 He ate enormously, with a zest which seemed incongruous with his spare frame. —Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark, 1915
His outburst seemed incongruous to those who know him well. there's an incongruous modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chris tells Carroll’s reflective, incongruous story – which contains some darker interludes – with humour, empathy, a light touch and great skill. —The Athletic Uk Staff, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 The notoriously elusive artist has re-entered the public fore with an incongruous collaboration: a music video with comedian Ben Stiller. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024 And few patrons might expect a scrumptious ice cream sundae at a Chinese restaurant, which sounds incongruous. —Gary Stern, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 None of these stories or approaches ever feel incongruous with one another, or with the overall project. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incongruous 
Word History
Etymology
Late Latin incongruus, from Latin in- + congruus congruous
First Known Use
1582, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of incongruous was in 1582
Dictionary Entries Near incongruous
Cite this Entry
“Incongruous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incongruous. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on incongruous
Last Updated: 8 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!