malapropos

mal·ap·ro·pos

M m

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [mal-ap-ruh-poh]
- /ˌmæl æp rəˈpoʊ/
- /ˌmæl.ˌæ.prə.ˈpəʊ/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [mal-ap-ruh-poh]
- /ˌmæl æp rəˈpoʊ/

Definitions of malapropos word

adjective malapropos inappropriate; out of place; inopportune; untimely: a malapropos remark. 1
adverb malapropos inappropriately; inopportunely. 1
noun malapropos Inopportunely; inappropriately. 1
adjective malapropos of an inappropriate or misapplied nature or kind 0
adverb malapropos in an inappropriate way or manner 0
noun malapropos something inopportune or inappropriate 0

See all 8 definitions of malapropos

Information block about the term

Origin of malapropos

First appearance:

before 1660

One of the 46% oldest English words

First recorded in 1660-70, malapropos is from the French word mal à propos badly (suited) to the purpose

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Malapropos

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Malapropos

malapropos popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 51% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 67% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

malapropos usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for malapropos

adj malapropos

inapt — not apt or fitting.
inopportune — not opportune; inappropriate; inconvenient; untimely or unseasonable: an inopportune visit.
tactless — lacking tact; showing no tact; undiplomatic; offendingly blunt: a tactless remark.
unseemly — not seemly; not in keeping with established standards of taste or proper form; unbecoming or indecorous in appearance, speech, conduct, etc.: an unseemly act; unseemly behavior.
unsuitable — not suitable; inappropriate; unfitting; unbecoming.

adjective malapropos

inappropriate — not appropriate; not proper or suitable: an inappropriate dress for the occasion.

All 10 Synonyms of malapropos