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 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 Both Diaz and Daichendt are old enough to remember the days when these cultures were seen as indecorous and even dangerous. San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2022 Hurston often ran afoul of her contemporaries because of her indecorous proclamations. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2022 However indecorous her comments, those facts take her commentary out of the purview of the school district. Arkansas Online, 2 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecorous
Adjective
  • Once the encounter was posted online, internet sleuths quickly detected the identity of the duo, and the encounter was deemed particularly inappropriate given Byron is married.
    Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Back then, Trump derided White House events for foreign dignitaries held in tents, saying that was an inappropriate way to entertain them.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • The county inspector general, in a December 2021 report, found mismanagement in the district and improper payments made to district trustees.
    Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
  • His attorneys are now seeking access to information from prosecutors and from Mangione's insurer, Aetna, arguing the subpoena was improper.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • Intermittent fasting, for example, may be unsuitable for people with pre-existing conditions or irritable bowel syndrome.
    Desireé Oostland, Vogue, 17 July 2025
  • While effective in commercial spheres, this approach to AI, which often involves a disregard for data privacy, is viewed as unsuitable for Washington.
    Dean DeBiase, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • One company statement referenced the video and stories related to it by pointing out incorrect information.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 19 July 2025
  • Andy Byron has not put out any statement; reports saying otherwise are all incorrect.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • For instance, Putignano says there’s nothing wrong with expecting a teen to clean their room, just as your parents expected of you.
    Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 15 July 2025
  • But new research shows that the intuitive assumption that the water is mostly newly melted snow or fresh rain is dead wrong.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • That's become a new line of attack for the Trump administration, which is already unhappy with the Fed for not moving more aggressively to lower interest rates.
    Scott Horsley, NPR, 14 July 2025
  • Speculation is that Ferrari is unhappy with Vasseur's performance, although these rumors have been shut down by Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.
    Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Indecorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecorous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on indecorous

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