Standard Lemma guide

inappropriate

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɪnəˈpɹəʊpɹi.ət/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌɪnəˈpɹoʊpɹi.ət/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N AH0 P R OW1 P R IY0 IH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It is inappropriate to burp at a formal dinner.
  • The violent movie is inappropriate for school.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inept

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Improper; adult; sexual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • kids saying inappropriate things

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Discrimination and abuse are examples of inappropriate actions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Too vile.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not suitable for a particular occasion etc

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness
  • inappropriate shoes for a walk on the beach
  • put inappropriate pressure on them

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: appropriate

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

not in keeping with what is correct or proper

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • completely inappropriate behavior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: incompatible, out or keeping(p), unfitting

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English appropriate English inappropriate From in- + appropriate.

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: yersiz — not appropriate or suitable
  • Azerbaijani: tutarsız — not appropriate or suitable
  • Azerbaijani: uyğunsuz — not appropriate or suitable
  • Azerbaijani: namünasib — not appropriate or suitable
  • Bulgarian: неподходящ (nepodhodjašt) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Bulgarian: неуместен (neumesten) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Bulgarian: несъответстващ (nesǎotvetstvašt) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Bulgarian: нецелесъобразен (necelesǎobrazen) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Catalan: inapropiat — not appropriate or suitable
  • Catalan: improcedent — not appropriate or suitable
  • Danish: upassende — not appropriate or suitable
  • Dutch: ongepast — not appropriate or suitable
  • Esperanto: malkonvena — not appropriate or suitable
  • Finnish: sopimaton — not appropriate or suitable
  • Finnish: epäasiallinen — not appropriate or suitable
  • Finnish: asiaton — not appropriate or suitable
  • French: inapproprié — not appropriate or suitable
  • French: déplacé — not appropriate or suitable
  • Galician: inapropiado — not appropriate or suitable
  • Galician: fóra de lugar — not appropriate or suitable
  • German: unangebracht — not appropriate or suitable
  • German: unangemessen — not appropriate or suitable
  • German: unpassend — not appropriate or suitable
  • Greek: ακατάλληλος (akatállilos) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Gujarati: અયોગ્ય (ayogya) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Hindi: अनुचित (anucit) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Hindi: अशोभनीय (aśobhnīya) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Hungarian: alkalmatlan — not appropriate or suitable
  • Hungarian: helytelen — not appropriate or suitable
  • Japanese: そぐわない (soguwanai) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Japanese: 場違いな (bachigai na) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Japanese: 不相応な (fusōō na) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Japanese: 不適切な (futekisetsu na) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Lakota: šikšíl — not appropriate or suitable
  • Macedonian: несоо́дветен (nesoódveten) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Macedonian: непри́годен (neprígoden) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Macedonian: недо́личен (nedóličen) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Mongolian: эегүй (ejegüj) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: upassende — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uheldig — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: malplassert — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uskikket — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: upassande — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uheldig — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: malplassert — not appropriate or suitable
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uskikka — not appropriate or suitable
  • Okinawan: ふそーうー (fusōū) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Polish: niewłaściwy — not appropriate or suitable
  • Polish: nieodpowiedni — not appropriate or suitable
  • Portuguese: inapropriado — not appropriate or suitable
  • Portuguese: improcedente — not appropriate or suitable
  • Romanian: inadecvat — not appropriate or suitable
  • Romanian: necorespunzător — not appropriate or suitable
  • Romanian: impropriu — not appropriate or suitable
  • Romanian: inoportun — not appropriate or suitable
  • Romanian: nepotrivit — not appropriate or suitable
  • Russian: неуместный (neumestnyj) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Serbo-Croatian: neprìkladan — not appropriate or suitable
  • Spanish: inapropiado — not appropriate or suitable
  • Spanish: improcedente — not appropriate or suitable
  • Swedish: opassande — not appropriate or suitable
  • Swedish: olämplig — not appropriate or suitable
  • Turkish: uygunsuz — not appropriate or suitable
  • Ukrainian: недоре́чний (nedoréčnyj) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Ukrainian: невідпові́дний (nevidpovídnyj) — not appropriate or suitable
  • Ukrainian: ненале́жний (nenaléžnyj) — not appropriate or suitable
Real reading context

inappropriate in complete knowledge articles