infelicitous

WOTD – 7 April 2010    

English

Etymology

From in- +‎ felicitous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌɪn.fəˈlɪs.ɪ.təs/, /ˌɪn.fɪˈlɪs.ɪ.təs/, /ˌɪn.fɛlˈɪs.ɪ.təs/
• (US) IPA: /ˌɪn.fəˈlɪs.ɪ.təs/, /ˌɪn.fəˈlɪs.ə.təs/

Adjective

infelicitous (comparative more infelicitous, superlative most infelicitous)

1. Unhappy or unfortunate.
   • 1973, Bret Harte, "A Boy's Dog" in Mrs. Skaggs's Husbands and Other Sketches:

     If leading a "dog's life" be considered a peculiar phase of human misery, the life of a Boys' Dog is still more infelicitous.

2. Inappropriate or awkward; not well said, expressed, or done.
   • 1909, William MacLeod Raine, Ridgway of Montana, ch. 24:

     "Now, you've got just grounds for shooting me," he said gaily, and instantly regretted his infelicitous remark.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:unhappy

Derived terms

• infelicitously
• infelicitousness

Translations

unhappy or unfortunate

• Catalan: infeliç (ca) m and f, desgraciat (ca)
• Danish: uheldig (da)
• Finnish: onneton (fi), epäonninen (fi)
• French: infortuné (fr)
• Norwegian: ulykkelig (no), uheldig (no)

• Polish: nieszczęsny, niefortunny, nieudany m
• Russian: несчастливый (ru) (nesčastlívyj) m, несчастный (ru) (nesčástnyj) m
• Spanish: infortunado (es), desventurado (es), desgraciado (es), infeliz (es), desdichado (es)

inappropriate or awkward; not well said, expressed, or done

• Catalan: maldestre (ca), inadequat (ca), impropi (ca)
• Danish: uheldig (da)
• Finnish: onneton (fi), surkea (fi)
• French: malheureux (fr), maladroit (fr), inadéquat (fr), gauche (fr)

• Norwegian: uheldig (no)
• Russian: неуместный (ru) (neuméstnyj) m, неподходящий (ru) (nepodxodjáščij) m, неудачный (ru) (neudáčnyj) m
• Spanish: torpe (es), impropio (es), aciago (es), inadecuado (es)