inappropriate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
not right or suitable for a particular situation, person, or place.
unsuitable or improper for a specific context, social setting, or purpose.
Simple“Wearing shorts to a formal wedding is usually considered inappropriate.”
In context“The board found his comments during the press conference highly inappropriate for someone in a senior leadership position.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'for' or 'to'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
behaving in a way that is socially wrong, often involving unwanted sexual talk or actions.
violating social or professional boundaries, frequently used as a euphemism for sexual harassment or offensive conduct.
Simple“She complained to HR after her manager made several inappropriate jokes.”
In context“The investigation focused on allegations of inappropriate physical contact between the staff members during the office retreat.”
Teacher's tipIn modern workplaces, this is often the standard professional term used to describe sexual harassment without using the legal label.
SynonymsindecentunbecomingAntonyms
“In response, the senior civil servants' union the FDA said it was "entirely inappropriate" to call for the resignation of officials who were "duty-bound to serve ministers" and "could not defend themselves publicly".”
“He added that they were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been president, has been unthreatening and respectful”.”
From in- + appropriate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.