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inopportune

Since the meaning of "opportune" is "favorable" or "well-timed," it's easy to guess that the meaning of inopportune means something that is ill-timed or inappropriate. That little prefix in- means "not," and it totally turns the meaning of a word around.

Think of the Latin word opportunus, which means "fitting" or "opportune." When you add in- in front of it, or any word, you give the word the opposite meaning. That's the history of the word inopportune, which has been used since the early 16th century to describe something that is "not fitting." For example, "She opened the door at an inopportune moment and saw him fire the gun." Bad timing? You bet. And very inopportune.

Definitions of inopportune
  1. adjective
    not opportune
    “arrived at a most inopportune hour”
    “an inopportune visit”
    Synonyms:
    disadvantageous
    constituting a disadvantage
    ill-timed, unseasonable, untimely, wrong
    badly timed
    inconvenient
    not conveniently timed
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    opportune
    suitable or at a time that is suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose
    advantageous
    giving an advantage
    good, right, ripe
    most suitable or right for a particular purpose
    seasonable, timely, well timed, well-timed
    done or happening at the appropriate or proper time
    show more antonyms...
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘inopportune'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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