malapropism
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malapropism¹
- /ˈmæləpɹɒpˌɪzəm/ UK
- /ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/ US
Where it comes from
From the name of Mrs. Malaprop, a character in the play The Rivals (1775) by Richard Brinsley Sheridan + -ism. As dramatic characters in English comic plays of this time often had allusive names, it is likely that Sheridan fashioned the name from malapropos (“inappropriate; inappropriately”), from French mal à propos. Mrs. Malaprop is a classic example of a familiar comedic character archetype who unintentionally substitutes inappropriate but like-sounding words that take on a ludicrous meaning when used incorrectly.
noun malapropisms · Malapropism · malapropoism
- The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one. The script employed malapropism to great effect.
-
An instance of such use.
The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.
Similar: malaprop
Malapropism²
noun Malapropisms
- Rare form of malapropism M. Jules Lemaître has reproached Shakespeare for his love of Malapropisms. Those of Dogberry and many of his other low comedy parts are highly diverting buffoonery.
Translations
Every language
noun the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression
| Español | gazapo, malapropismo, yerro |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 말라프로피즘 mallapeuropijeum |
| 日本語 | マラプロピズム marapuropizumu, 言い間違い iimachigai |
| Français | abus de langage, malapropisme, impropriété |
| Deutsch | Wörtervertauschung, Wortverwechslung, Verballhornung, Malapropismus |
| Русский | малапропи́зм malapropízm |
Talk about this word "malapropism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/malapropism. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. malapropism. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/malapropism "malapropism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/malapropism.Cite this
@misc{malapropism_2026,
title = {malapropism},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/malapropism},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
