as in inappropriate
showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations
the company considered his indelicate handling of such a personal matter to be unprofessional
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Recent Examples of indelicate
Lapid trades in indelicate satire for indelicate times — Y at one point literally and lavishly licks his wealthy benefactor’s gleaming knee-high boots — so these grisly verses at first seem a typically blunt caricature of Israeli nationalism at its most ruthless.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2025
If any lawsuit ends up in court, a judge or jury will have to decide if an indelicate social media posting is worth more than $500,000 for the bereaved of Sade Robinson.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
The phrasing was indelicate, but the idea that Canada lacks a cohesive identity is not a novel proposition.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Advertisement The president-elect’s style — brash, indelicate and pugilistic — is distilled in his son.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for indelicate
Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2025
If any lawsuit ends up in court, a judge or jury will have to decide if an indelicate social media posting is worth more than $500,000 for the bereaved of Sade Robinson.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
The phrasing was indelicate, but the idea that Canada lacks a cohesive identity is not a novel proposition.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2025
Advertisement The president-elect’s style — brash, indelicate and pugilistic — is distilled in his son.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for indelicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indelicate
Adjective
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South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said at a news conference that Hill’s conduct was inappropriate but ultimately harmless.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
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On April 12, former congressman Swalwell, 45, suspended his campaign for governor of California after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behavior ranging from sending lewd, unwanted messages to drugging, raping and choking them.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the murder convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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How to Wash Sweat-Wicking Shirts These fabrics are designed to pull moisture away from the body, but improper washing can cause buildup, trapping bacteria and odors.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Smaller seats, less legroom, meals on a budget, and now someone whispering indiscreet sweet nothings to their lover in my ear.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
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The one part of the paper that’ll have to worry most about hurt celebrity feelings, of course, is Page Six, the Post’s gleefully indiscreet gossip column.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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This is the same Trump, after all, whose reaction to the shocking murder of beloved actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele was selfish and tactless, even for him.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Mar. 2026
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This response rewards the tactless well-wisher.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These injudicious, blunt-force tariffs do get undone almost as quickly as they are slapped on, thank heavens.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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So maybe use the feelings aroused by your sister-in-law’s thoughtless, certainly injudicious, possibly naughty remark as an opportunity to rise above.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Additional charges included negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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To be fair, those imprudent claims were made without the benefit of seeing this evidence.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After an almost year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office charged Pino with three misdemeanor counts of careless boating resulting in death.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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Dahlin earned another interference penalty later, and Zucker’s roughing penalty was careless.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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The frame was actually lifted, so that the piping from the turbo to the engine could be technically feasible, even if inadvisable in real life.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
19 Mar. 2026
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The reality is that reconciling a relationship is not just difficult, but sometimes inadvisable or dangerous, especially in cases involving harm or trauma.—
Richard Balkin,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indelicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indelicate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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