Meanings
comparative more inopportune · superlative most inopportune
- Unsuitable for some particular purpose.
That was a most inopportune spot for a picnic.
1 more example
"It appears I come at an inopportune time, madam," said he, "when my friend, Mr. Rochester, is from home; but I arrive from a very long journey, and I think I may presume so far on old and intimate acquaintance as to install myself here till he returns."
1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter III, in Jane Eyre. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 77Synonyms: inappropriate
- Happening/occurring at an inconvenient or inappropriate time.
The inopportune arrival of the bus cut short the interesting conversation.
1 more example
The object is to keep the yard operators apprised of main-line movements, so that they do not plan to occupy the main lines with activity into or out of the yard at an inopportune juncture.
1962 October, G[eoffrey] Freeman Allen, “The New Look in Scotland's Northern Division—II”, in Modern Railways, page 170Synonyms: ill-timed
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveUnsuitable for some particular purpose.
adjectiveHappening/occurring at an inconvenient or inappropriate time.
antonym(s) of “all”
antonym(s) of
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininopportūnus
- Englishinopportune
From Latin inopportūnus. By surface analysis, in- + opportune.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian неподходящ, ненавременен
- неподходящ (nepodhodjašt)unsuitable for some particular purpose
- ненавременен (nenavremenen)at an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Catalan inoportú
- inoportúunsuitable for some particular purpose
Dutch ongeschikt, ongepast
- ongeschiktunsuitable for some particular purpose
- ongepastunsuitable for some particular purpose
- ongelegenat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
French inopportun
- inopportununsuitable for some particular purpose
German ungeeignet, unpassend
- ungeeignetunsuitable for some particular purpose
- unpassendunsuitable for some particular purpose
- ungelegenat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
- unpassendat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Greek ανεπίκαιρος
- ανεπίκαιρος (anepíkairos)at an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Hindi असामयिक
- असामयिक (asāmyik)at an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Hungarian alkalmatlan, alkalmatlan
- alkalmatlanunsuitable for some particular purpose
- alkalmatlanat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Italian inopportuno
- inopportunounsuitable for some particular purpose
Portuguese inoportuno, inoportuno
- inoportunounsuitable for some particular purpose
- inoportunoat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Romanian inoportun, neoportun
- inoportununsuitable for some particular purpose
- neoportunat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
- inoportunat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Spanish inoportuno
- inoportunoat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Swedish oläglig
- olägligat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Ukrainian недоре́чний, недоре́чний
- недоре́чний (nedoréčnyj)unsuitable for some particular purpose
- недоре́чний (nedoréčnyj)at an inconvenient or inappropriate time
- несвоєча́сний (nesvoječásnyj)at an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Welsh anghyfleus, amhridiol
- anghyfleusunsuitable for some particular purpose
- amhridiolunsuitable for some particular purpose
- anamserolat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
- annhymigat an inconvenient or inappropriate time
Cite this entry
inopportune. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inopportune
“inopportune.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inopportune. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inopportune,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inopportune.
Source: inopportune on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.