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inappropriate

adjective

Simple meaning

Not suitable for a particular occasion etc.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ihnuhprohpreeit

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɪnəpˈɹoʊpɹiɪt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. Not suitable for a particular occasion etc

    “Noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness.”

  2. Not appropriate; not suitable for the situation, time, or place.

  3. informalin particular

    Improper; adult; sexual.

  4. informalin particular

    (of an action or thing) vile or unpleasant; repulsive.

  5. informalin particular

    Too vile.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Not suitable for a particular occasion etc

Used this way, inappropriate is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“Noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • unbefitting , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use inappropriate

  • “Noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness.”adjective

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

inappropriate behaviortotally inappropriateinappropriate behaviourinappropriate responseinappropriate secretion

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Word Family

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Word family

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.