incongruous

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈkɑn.ɡɹu.əs/ UK /ɪnˈkɒn.ɡɹʊu.ʌs/ See IPA manual

Freq #59925

Meanings

1

adj
Out of place; not matching or fitting the surroundings.

The modern glass tower looked incongruous among the old stone houses.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

incongruitous

Word family

Derived forms incongruously incongruousness

Related forms incongruenceincongruentincongruity

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

incongruous behavior
conduct that seems out of place in its surroundings or situation

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Latin incongruus, from in- (“not”) + congruus (“congruent”), equivalent to in- + congruous.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# incongruous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkɑn.ɡɹu.əs/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkɒn.ɡɹʊu.ʌs/
**Frequency rank:** 59925

## Meanings
1. Out of place; not matching or fitting the surroundings.

## Examples
- The modern glass tower looked incongruous among the old stone houses.

## Synonyms
- incongruitous

## Derived Forms
- incongruously
- incongruousness

## Related Forms
- incongruence
- incongruent
- incongruity

## Etymology
From Latin incongruus, from in- (“not”) + congruus (“congruent”), equivalent to in- + congruous.

## AI Etymology
Incongruous is from Latin incongruus, from in- (“not”) + congruus (“congruent”), equivalent to in- + congruous. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Current senses include out of place; not matching or fitting the surroundings. The wider family includes derived forms such as incongruously and incongruousness and related words such as incongruence, incongruent, and incongruity.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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