Incongruous, a.
Etymology: [L. incongruus. See In- not, and Congruous.]
Not congruous; reciprocally disagreeing; not capable of harmonizing or readily assimilating; inharmonious; inappropriate; unsuitable; not fitting; inconsistent; improper; as, an incongruous remark; incongruous behavior, action, dress, etc. "Incongruous mixtures of opinions." I. Taylor. "Made up of incongruous parts." Macaulay. Incongruous denotes that kind of absence of harmony or suitableness of which the taste and experience of men takes cognizance. C. J. Smith. Incongruous numbers (Arith.), two numbers, which, with respect to a third, are such that their difference can not be divided by it without a remainder, the two numbers being said to be incongruous with respect to the third; as, twenty-five are incongruous with respect to four.
Syn. -- Inconsistent; unsuitable; inharmonious; disagreeing; absurd; inappropriate; unfit; improper. See Inconsistent. -- In*con"gru*ous*ly, adv. -- In*con"gru*ous*ness, n.
Shades of meaning
Two or more things that do not fit well together, or are not adapted to each other, are said to be incongruous; a thing is said to be incongruous that is not adapted to the time, place, or occasion; the term is also applied to a thing made up of ill-assorted parts or inharmonious elements. Discordant is applied to all things that jar in association like musical notes that are not in accord; inharmonious has the same original sense, but is a milder term. Incompatible primarily signifies unable to sympathize or feel alike; inconsistent means unable to stand together. Things are incompatible which can not exist together in harmonious relations, and whose action when associated tends to ultimate extinction of one by the other. Inconsistent applies to things that can not be made to agree in thought with each other, or with some standard of truth or right; slavery and freedom are inconsistent with each other in theory, and incompatible in fact. Incongruous applies to relations, unsuitable to purpose or use; two colors are incongruous which can not be agreeably associated; either may be unsuitable for a person, a room, or an occasion. Incommensurable is a mathematical term, applying to two or more quantities that have no common measure or aliquot part.
Prepositions
The illustrations were incongruous with the theme.