UNBECOMING Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'unbecoming' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of unbecoming are improper , indecorous , indelicate , and unseemly . While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status. // conduct unbecoming to an officer

Q: When might 'improper' be a better fit than 'unbecoming'?

The words improper and unbecoming are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Q: When would 'indecorous' be a good substitute for 'unbecoming'?

The meanings of indecorous and unbecoming largely overlap; however, indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners. // indecorous behavior

Q: When could 'indelicate' be used to replace 'unbecoming'?

The synonyms indelicate and unbecoming are sometimes interchangeable, but indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling. // indelicate expressions for bodily functions

Q: When is it sensible to use 'unseemly' instead of 'unbecoming'?

While the synonyms unseemly and unbecoming are close in meaning, unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste. // remarried with unseemly haste

unbecoming

adjective

ˌən-bi-ˈkə-miŋ

Definition of unbecoming

as in inappropriate

not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation boorish behavior that is unbecoming to an officer

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How does the adjective unbecoming differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of unbecoming are improper, indecorous, indelicate, and unseemly. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

When might improper be a better fit than unbecoming?

The words improper and unbecoming are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 would indecorous be a good substitute for unbecoming?

The meanings of indecorous and unbecoming largely overlap; however, indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

When could indelicate be used to replace unbecoming?

The synonyms indelicate and unbecoming are sometimes interchangeable, but indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

When is it sensible to use unseemly instead of unbecoming?

While the synonyms unseemly and unbecoming are close in meaning, 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 unbecoming Yet there is something singularly unbecoming about a franchise as American as Superman (and its adjuncts) being willfully stripped of its patriotism and good cheer. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026 With nothing but the season at stake, Georgia won in a fashion most unbecoming a team that leads Division I in home runs. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 17 June 2026 If those with the strongest case to make against injustice could refuse the psychic consolations of victimhood, then there is something especially unbecoming in white Americans learning to speak the language of racial grievance. — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026 Devon Toews made costly mistakes unbecoming of a player of his caliber. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unbecoming

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbecoming

Adjective

Parental Controls for Shared Devices Parents can restrict access to adult and inappropriate content, which helps when kids use the same phones, tablets, or laptops.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from Dancing with the Stars for one week after making an inappropriate comment toward one of the judges last week.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

At one unsuitable Gramercy apartment, Taylor encountered Cam Armand, a salesperson on the Kota team at Compass, and the Folwells enlisted his help.

— Joyce Cohen, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
In a setting designed to make exceptional yachts desirable, explaining why a particular vessel is unsuitable requires commercial discipline.

— Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

Additionally, improper application of diagnostic criteria, and that fact that MS symptoms can resemble those of other conditions, can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
He’s also accused of having improper or unclear license plates, no proof of registration and insurance, and no proof of a driver’s license.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of improper

Adjective

The reality, of course, is that the Southern accent is not some incorrect version of a national standard but instead a historically separate and unique dialect – or, more accurately, set of dialects.

— Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
And Ballmer and the Clippers remain adamant the penalties—and the allegations of misconduct—are incorrect.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of incorrect

Adjective

Its argument is that insurers have been pricing wildfire risk the wrong way, by looking backward at statistics and sorting homes by zip code.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
The trailer begins as Ziegler’s Mae frantically asks family friend Benny, played by a sleepy Rob Lowe, for help after her big mistake — kissing the wrong brother between Graham Phillips’ Andrew and Elias Kacavas’ Theo.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrong

Adjective

That’ll be particularly important after Paxton defeated Cornyn in a brutal primary where Senate Republicans and other Cornyn allies spent more than $90 million in his defense and attacked Paxton as unfit for office.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Separately, the Independent Football Regulator has the powers to force club owners to sell and can withhold a license to operate if they are deemed unfit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of unfit

Adjective

Dudus was apparently unhappy about a recent NBC News article that exposed Combs’ cushy life behind bars.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Tim Boyd San Juan Capistrano I’m sure there are Dodgers fans unhappy about losing to the Brewers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of unhappy

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“Unbecoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbecoming. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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