incongruous
Strikingly out of place
Incongruous describes something that doesn't fit its surroundings or context—out of place, mismatched, jarring.
An incongruous detail stands out because it clashes with everything around it: a modern skyscraper incongruous among Victorian rowhouses, His cheerful whistling seemed incongruous at the funeral.
The word often implies something absurd or unsettling about the mismatch.
Unable to exist together
- ill-suitedNot appropriate for
- inharmoniousLacking pleasing agreement
- discrepantNot in agreement
- uncoordinatedLacking physical grace
unsuitable · unfitting · unbalanced · inappropriate · clashing · misaligned · asymmetrical · disparate
Not conforming to type
- aberrantDeparting from what's typical
- unusualNot often encountered
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
- peculiarStrangely unusual
outlier · exception · divergent · nonconforming · uncharacteristic · rare · deviant · singular
Completely contrary to reason
- ludicrousAbsurdly unreasonable or inappropriate
- farcicalAbsurdly comical or mockable
- nonsensicalWithout coherent meaning
- ridiculousInviting scorn through absurdity
laughable · surreal · bizarre · outlandish · paradoxical · illogical · irrational · comical
Violent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
- disharmonyAbsence of agreement
- disagreementAbsence of shared opinion
- tensionStretched or strained state
contradiction · opposition · variance · incompatibility · friction · disparity · contrast · inconsonant
Strangely unusual
- strangeUnusual or unfamiliar
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- eccentricUnconventional in character
- unusualNot often encountered
weird · idiosyncratic · unorthodox · offbeat · curious · unexpected · surprising · remarkable
Striking with discord
- dissonantLacking harmonic agreement
- gratingCrossed bars or harsh
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- stridentHarsh and piercing
off-key · cacophonous · startling · unsettling · disturbing · shocking · abrupt · jolting
incompatible
Unable to exist together
- ill-suitedNot appropriate for
- inharmoniousLacking pleasing agreement
- discrepantNot in agreement
uncoordinated · unsuitable · unfitting · unbalanced · inappropriate · clashing · misaligned · asymmetrical · disparate · uneven
atypical
Not conforming to type
- aberrantDeparting from what's typical
- unusualNot often encountered
- irregularDeviating from normal patterns
peculiar · outlier · exception · divergent · nonconforming · uncharacteristic · rare · deviant · singular · anomaly
preposterous
Completely contrary to reason
- ludicrousAbsurdly unreasonable or inappropriate
- farcicalAbsurdly comical or mockable
- nonsensicalWithout coherent meaning
ridiculous · laughable · surreal · bizarre · outlandish · paradoxical · illogical · irrational · comical · whimsical
clash
Violent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
- disharmonyAbsence of agreement
- disagreementAbsence of shared opinion
tension · contradiction · opposition · variance · incompatibility · friction · disparity · contrast · inconsonant · at-odds
peculiar
Strangely unusual
unusual · weird · idiosyncratic · unorthodox · offbeat · curious · unexpected · surprising · remarkable · noteworthy
clashing
Striking with discord
strident · off-key · cacophonous · startling · unsettling · disturbing · shocking · abrupt · jolting · disconcerting
- out of placemisfit, odd, misplaced, unsuitable, unfitting
- discorddiscord, Discord, dissonance, discordance, dissonant
- unevenuneven, irregular, unequal, nonuniform, asymmetric
- contradictionsparadox, oxymoron, contradiction, paradoxes, oxymorons
- surrealismdreamscapes, Rene Magritte, Max Ernst, automatic writing, automatism
incongruouscongruous
Fitting together suitably
harmonious · fitting · compatible · congruent · consonant
incongruousconsistent
Not varying or contradicting
coherent · congruent · logical · compatible · concordant