malapropos

/'mæl'æprəpou/

Thân thiện

He made a malapropos comment during the formal ceremony.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Inappropriate or inapt: Describes something that is unsuitable, out of place, or applied incorrectly for a given situation.
   • Ill-timed: Refers to something occurring at an inconvenient or unsuitable moment.

2. Adverb:

   • Inopportunely: At an inconvenient or inappropriate time.
   • Inappropriately: In a manner that is not fitting or suitable.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • His malapropos comment about finances during the wedding toast made everyone uncomfortable.
  • Wearing a swimsuit to the formal meeting was a malapropos choice.

• Adverb:

  • She called malapropos, just as the important meeting was starting.
  • The joke was told malapropos, ruining the solemn mood of the ceremony.

Advanced Usage

• Used to critique timing or suitability: Often employed in formal or literary contexts to criticize the inappropriateness of an action, remark, or event.
  • The senator's malapropos attempt at humor during the crisis briefing was widely criticized.

Variants and Related Words

• Malapropism (noun): The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an unintentionally comic effect. This is a related but distinct concept.
  • Saying "dance a flamingo" instead of "dance a flamenco" is a classic malapropism.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Inappropriate, inapt, unsuitable, untimely, inopportune.
• Adverb: Inopportunely, inappropriately, unseasonably, untimely.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Appropriate, apt, suitable, timely, opportune.
• Adverb: Appropriately, opportunely, seasonably, fittingly.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of an inappropriate or incorrectly applied nature

Adverb

1. at an inconvenient time
   • he arrived inopportunely just as we sat down for dinner
   • she answered malapropos

Từ đồng nghĩa

• inopportunely