Incongruous: meaning, example and synonyms

Incongruousadj. Out of place; not in harmony with its surroundings or with other parts.

Flashcard for Incongruous (adjective): out of place; not in harmony with its surroundings or with other parts. Example: To early visitors, the ornate mansion, standing alone among the town's plain farmhouses, seemed incongruous: a monument to wealth in a community that prized thrift. Synonyms: out of place, discordant, jarring, inconsistent. Antonyms: harmonious, consistent, fitting, compatible. Memory tip: in- ("not") + congruous ("agreeing"): things that don't fit together. Illustration: a single pink flamingo standing in deep snow in a winter pine forest.

Example

To early visitors, the ornate mansion, standing alone among the town's plain farmhouses, seemed incongruous: a monument to wealth in a community that prized thrift.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
out of place, discordant, jarring, inconsistent
Antonyms
harmonious, consistent, fitting, compatible
Memory tip
in- ("not") + congruous ("agreeing"): things that don't fit together.

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Check yourself: Incongruous in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

The cheerful music playing in the hospital waiting room struck many visitors as ______, given the anxious faces around them.

Question 2

A sleek glass tower rising beside the medieval cathedral looked ______ to some residents, who felt the two buildings belonged to different worlds.

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