Skip to main content
unbefitting

unbefitting

1 7.2
Not suitable for a person or situation
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌn.bɪˈfɪt.ɪŋ/
  • Formal
: inapropiado
  • His remarks during the interview were unbefitting of someone applying for such a prestigious position.

Examples

  • To oligorin me prosecontos, this prosecontos means something like undeserved, unbefitting, wrong.

  • Now, I'm not saying that you should always, always be reacting in a way that is sometimes unbefitting of yourself whenever something negative does happen.

  • You might encounter certain hardships or certain situations that you find unbefitting of your your yourself, But at the end of the day, we can't control what's not us.

  • His behavior at the formal dinner was completely unbefitting a diplomat.

  • The costume she wore to the gala was unbefitting the elegant occasion.

Synonyms

wrong
vsunbefitting
∞ 1.0

Not suitable for a particular time or purpose

addresses appropriateness overall, not specifically timing of occurrence
inappropriate
vsunbefitting
367 3.7

Not right for a situation or event

is the same core idea but more formal and general in use
unacceptable
vsunbefitting
218 3.2

Not good enough or not allowed by rules

is more about fit for context than formal permission or standards
improper
vsunbefitting
93 4.1

Not suitable according to normal rules or standards

is less moralised and more about plain suitability for context
not acceptable
vsunbefitting
67 2.2

Not allowed by rules and not good enough for standards

focuses on contextual mismatch rather than rules or permission
unfit
vsunbefitting
45 3.7

Not suitable for a particular job or use

focuses more on general appropriateness rather than ability or quality
unseemly
vsunbefitting
32 7.8

Not proper or polite for a situation

is broader, including merely unsuitable choices without indecency
unbecoming
vsunbefitting
  • Formal
19 6.7

Not suitable for a situation or for what people expect

is similar but applies to both objects and actions more broadly
unsuitable
vsunbefitting
19 2.6

Not right for a person, place, or purpose

is more general, covering both manners and practical suitability
unsuited
vsunbefitting
5 4.3

Not able to go well together

focuses on single suitability rather than match or harmony
ill-chosen
vsunbefitting
1 6.3

Not right for the situation and likely to seem awkward

is broader, not limited to selection or expression errors
infelicitous
vsunbefitting
  • Formal
1 9.1

Unsuitable for a situation that makes people feel uncomfortable

is neutral, focusing simply on lack of suitability without emotional result
inapposite
vsunbefitting
1 9.9

Not suitable for a situation and therefore not important to the topic

is more general, covering unsuitable as well as irrelevant cases
uncomely
vsunbefitting
  • Archaic
1 9.6

Not proper in dress or behavior in polite company

applies more widely, not only to polite society expectations
unfitting
vsunbefitting
1 5.6

Not suitable for a certain situation or purpose

is broader, applying to many contexts beyond single occasions
unfitted
vsunbefitting
1 5.0

Not suitable for a particular job or use

is concerned with contextual appropriateness rather than personal qualification

Antonyms

937 3.5

Right for a particular situation, person, or purpose

180 1.8

Right for a certain purpose, person, or situation

16 4.6

Suitable for a person, situation, or occasion

How Suitable

suitable
180 1.8
unsuitable
19 2.6
inappropriate
367 3.7
unbefitting
  • Formal
1 7.2
unbecoming
  • Formal
19 6.7

Surface Forms

unbefitting positive

Morphology

unbefitting = befitting (transparent) = un + befit + ing

A straightforward negative formation: the productive prefix 'un-' negates the adjective 'befitting' to give 'not appropriate'.

Etymology

Unbefitting breaks into un- and befitting, where un- means 'not' and befit comes from the simple word fit, which means 'suitable'. So, think 'not fit': unbefitting means 'not suitable' or 'inappropriate'.