Incongruous – adjective

  • Out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming (Dictionary.com)
  • Not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts; inconsistent (Dictionary.com)
  • Unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening (Cambridge)
  • Appearing strange or wrong within a particular situation (Cambridge)
  • Lacking congruity: such as
    1. not harmonious: incompatible
    2. not conforming: disagreeing
    3. inconsistent within itself
    4. lacking propriety: unsuitable (Merriam-Webster)

“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 it to the Latin verb congruere, which means ‘to come together’ or ‘to agree.’ The dates of the words’ first uses in English match up pretty well, too. The first known use of congruous dates from 1599, and the earliest print appearance of incongruous dates from 1611.” – Merriam-Webster

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