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infelicitous — not well-chosen or suitable for the circumstances; inappropriate or unfortunate

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: not well-chosen or suitable for the circumstances; inappropriate or unfortunate

Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs/

Example Sentences

  • The CEO's infelicitous joke about layoffs during the holiday party left everyone speechless.
  • Her infelicitous choice to wear a wedding dress to her ex-boyfriend's wedding shocked the guests.
  • The politician's infelicitous comparison of taxes to robbery cost him many votes.

infelicitous

ADJECTIVE

[/ɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs/]

not well-chosen or suitable for the circumstances; inappropriate or unfortunate

a young man walks into the funeral wearing bright neon beach clothes and flip-flops while carrying a colorful party hat. He grins widely and waves enthusiastically at the grieving family members. The mourners turn to stare at him with shocked and disapproving expressions on their faces. Their black formal attire creates a stark contrast to his wildly inappropriate outfit. The elderly widow covers her face in embarrassment while other guests shake their heads. The pastor pauses mid-sermon with a look of complete bewilderment. behavior that is not well-chosen or suitable for the circumstances
💡 Concept

a young man walks into the funeral wearing bright neon beach clothes and flip-flops while carrying a colorful party hat. He grins widely and waves enthusiastically at the grieving family members. The mourners turn to stare at him with shocked and disapproving expressions on their faces. Their black formal attire creates a stark contrast to his wildly inappropriate outfit. The elderly widow covers her face in embarrassment while other guests shake their heads. The pastor pauses mid-sermon with a look of complete bewilderment. behavior that is not well-chosen or suitable for the circumstances

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs/
🇬🇧 UK/ɪnfɪˈlɪsɪtəs/

🌳Etymology

Prefixin--
Rootfelic
Suffix--itous

Origin

From Latin 'felix' meaning 'happy' or 'fortunate', combined with the negative prefix 'in-' and the adjective suffix '-ous'. The word literally means 'not happy' but evolved to mean 'inappropriate' or 'unfortunate in expression'.

Breakdown

in- (not/opposite) + felic- (happy, fortunate) + -ous (adjective suffix meaning 'having the quality of')

🎵Rhyme

felicitousprecipitous
felicitous
precipitous

🔗Collocations

infelicitous remark
infelicitous timing
infelicitous choice of words
infelicitous expression
infelicitous phrasing
infelicitous comment

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“The CEO's infelicitous joke about layoffs during the holiday party left everyone speechless.”

😄 Fun example

“Her infelicitous choice to wear a wedding dress to her ex-boyfriend's wedding shocked the guests.”

“The politician's infelicitous comparison of taxes to robbery cost him many votes.”

“His infelicitous attempt at humor during the funeral made everyone uncomfortable.”

📚Related Words

Synonyms

inappropriateunsuitableill-chosentactlessunfortunate

Antonyms

felicitousappropriatesuitable

Related

inopportuneuntimelyawkwardimpropertactless

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