Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INCONGRUOUS
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
explore the archives:
Congruent, congruous, incongruent, and incongruous might remind you of math class: of working with two triangles to see if they're mathematically similar or even identical. For that reason, today's word often has a mathematical flavor.
See if you can recall a synonym with a scientific flavor, specifically, a chemical one: imm____ible means "unable to blend well together," and the roots literally mean "not mixable." (It's not "immixable!")
make your point with...
"INCONGRUOUS"
Things that have congruity are congruous (or congruent): they're suitable, consistent, or harmonious.
So, things that don't have congruity are incongruous (or incongruent): they're unsuitable, inconsistent, or inharmonious. In other words, incongruous things are inappropriate because they don't match the situation they're in.
Pronunciation:
in KONG grew us
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "an incongruous thing."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was incongruous.")
Other forms:
incongruously, incongruity ("in kun GREW uh tee"); congruous, congruously, congruity
How to use it:
You can use "incongruous" or "incongruent." They mean the same thing. I've focused on "incongruous" because it's more common.
Incongruous objects and features don't match their own situations or environments: "At the country general store, these fancy columns struck me as incongruous." You can also talk about incongruous behavior and language, incongruous sights and sounds, incongruous changes and effects, etc.
You can also say that two (or more) things are incongruous when combined, meaning they don't mix well, or that they aren't consistent with each other: "In spite of their incongruous management styles, they completed the project."
Often we'll say something is incongruous with something else: "her comments are incongruous with the spirit of the game," "their plan is incongruous with reality," "the show's plot was incongruous with reason."
examples:
With our incongruous priorities--hers on getting it done perfectly, mine on getting it done--we often snapped at each other.
The weakest applicants gave short, factual responses incongruous with the lengthy, thought-provoking questions.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "incongruous" means when you can explain it without saying "it doesn't fit the other things" or "it isn't right for the situation."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Doing something ridiculous) is incongruous with (reason, reality, or common sense)."
Example: "Badmouthing your previous employer to your new one is incongruous with common sense."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is called One-Word Titles! Rely on your cultural knowledge, your vocabulary, or both as we consider the power and simplicity of one-word titles. We'll recall movies, songs, books, television shows, and musicals with brief, meaningful, well-chosen titles of only one word each. Let's play!
From yesterday: The title of this 2001 book by Ian McEwan means "the process of making things right after having hurt someone." If you remove the word’s suffix, you can break the remaining letters into two words that, together, describe a feeling of harmony or concord. The title is __________.
Answer: Atonement. (Atonement = "at one"-ment.)
Try this today: The title of this 1818 book by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was, at the time, simply a character's last name. But soon afterward, it entered dictionaries with these meanings: "a terrible monster" and "to create something out of mismatched parts." The title is ____________.
review today's word:
1. Its exact opposite is CONGRUOUS, but another opposite of INCONGRUOUS is
A. COMPLIANT
B. COMPATIBLE
C. COMPANIONABLE
2. He stood in his tailored suit, incongruous among _____.
A. the bustling crowd of early-morning walkers
B. the throng of other finely dressed applicants
C. the other applicants in cargo shorts and flip-flops
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. C
Congruent, congruous, incongruent, and incongruous might remind you of math class: of working with two triangles to see if they're mathematically similar or even identical. For that reason, today's word often has a mathematical flavor.
"INCONGRUOUS" Things that have congruity are congruous (or congruent): they're suitable, consistent, or harmonious. Part of speech:
With our incongruous priorities--hers on getting it done perfectly, mine on getting it done--we often snapped at each other.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "incongruous" means when you can explain it without saying "it doesn't fit the other things" or "it isn't right for the situation."
Fill in the blanks: "(Doing something ridiculous) is incongruous with (reason, reality, or common sense)."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. Its exact opposite is CONGRUOUS, but another opposite of INCONGRUOUS is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
|