Definition of indecorousnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective indecorous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of indecorous are improper, indelicate, unbecoming, and unseemly. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

When could improper be used to replace indecorous?

While in some cases nearly identical to indecorous, improper applies to a broader range of transgressions of rules not only of social behavior but of ethical practice or logical procedure or prescribed method.

improper use of campaign contributions

When is indelicate a more appropriate choice than indecorous?

Although the words indelicate and indecorous have much in common, indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

Where would unbecoming be a reasonable alternative to indecorous?

In some situations, the words unbecoming and indecorous are roughly equivalent. However, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

When might unseemly be a better fit than indecorous?

The meanings of unseemly and indecorous largely overlap; however, unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste.

remarried with unseemly haste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of indecorous Australian screenwriter McNamara’s comic sensibilities are more in line with English than American humor — which brings the plus of scathing wit, if also the minus of a certain decorum even in outbursts of indecorous fury. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025 The massive tag is gone now but something just as indecorous seems likely to replace it. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 With round-the-clock musicians, magicians, comedians, blue men and white Bengal tigers, the Strip became the premier global destination not just for indecorous gambling, but also for family-friendly entertainment. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Now five seasons old, The Constructivists also have taken a step up in ambition by casting local veteran James Pickering as David, the latest in a run of wild, unhinged and indecorous old men the septuagenarian has brought to life on stage. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2023 Even a white-collar defendant’s photograph of himself holding a baseball bat next to a prosecutor’s photo might be easily dismissed as indecorous, but free, speech. Elliot Williams, CNN, 10 Apr. 2023 There was a palpable undercurrent of dissatisfaction among offensive players – grumbling about the predictability of the offense and what looked like indecorous snickering when the locker room opened. Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Dec. 2022 Hurston often ran afoul of her contemporaries because of her indecorous proclamations. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecorous
Adjective
  • The dashboard may identify patients who may have started on a new medication that interacts with a DOAC, patients who have had a change in their kidney function or who have been prescribed an inappropriate dose.
    David Cox, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Other emails from the latest crop of the Epstein files include other inappropriate comments about Beatrice and Eugenie.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The higher the improper payment rate, the bigger the financial hit.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Young children are still learning what are proper and improper behaviors.
    Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Of the 47 places Western Ghats king cobras were rescued across the state between 2002 and 2024, five were completely unsuitable locations, including one snake found in a port city around 120 kilometers away by train from its natural range.
    Richard Kemeny, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Nelly Korda won for the first time in 14 months without having to hit a shot Sunday when the LPGA Tour reduced the season-opening Tournament of Champions to 54 holes because of wind and cold that led officials to deem Lake Nona unsuitable for a final round.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Some will always believe their placement incorrect.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Both parties claim problems such as invalid signatures and missing or incorrect voter information on petitions that judicial candidates submit to secure a place on the ballot.
    Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Nichols and Vann concede that handing the cup with the apple juice and urine mix to Smith’s son to drink was wrong and Vann has expressed regret for that.
    Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The crash involved a wrong-way driver on eastbound I-84, according to an Idaho State Police Facebook post.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Many people have a profound attachment to suffering and staying in unhappy relationships and so a lot of my work is trying to figure out why.
    Daisy Jones, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The day after the Super Bowl, some people are guaranteed to be unhappy.
    Mike Snider, AZCentral.com, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Indecorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecorous. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on indecorous

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