impropriety

IPA/ˌɪmprəˈpraɪəti/
KK[ˌɪmprəprˈaɪəti]IPA/ˌɪmprəˈpraɪəti/

impropriety — 名詞

  • improprietysingular
  • improprietiesplural

1. actions or conduct that break the rules of honesty, good taste, or social correc

1.名詞C1
釋義

不當行為

違反道德或專業規範的行為

actions or conduct that break the rules of honesty, good taste, or social correctness expected in a given context — for example, a manager who secretly takes money from the company, or a politician who accepts gifts in exchange for favours.

例句

The company fired the accountant for financial impropriety after funds went missing.

公司在資金短少後，以財務不當行為解雇了那名會計。

collocation: financial impropriety

Anjali was removed from the committee for impropriety in handling the donations.

Anjali 因處理捐款方式不當而被解除委員會職務。

uncountable: impropriety in (doing) something

同義詞
  • misconduct

    stronger focus on professional wrongdoing, especially in a workplace setting

  • wrongdoing

    broader term covering any illegal or immoral act

  • unethical behaviour

    specifies a violation of moral principles rather than social rules

反義詞
  • propriety

    the correct or socially acceptable way of behaving

  • correctness

    emphasises following rules and standards

文法句型

there is/was no impropriety in (doing) something

accused of impropriety

deny any impropriety

用法筆記

Common in legal and journalistic language. This sense is uncountable and often appears in negative statements ("no impropriety") or as the object of verbs like deny, allege, suspect.

常見錯誤

❌The manager was fired for improper.
✅The manager was fired for impropriety.
💡'improper' is an adjective; the noun form 'impropriety' is needed here.
❌He committed an impropriety' (when referring to dishonest conduct in general).
✅He was accused of impropriety.
💡Sense 1 is uncountable; the countable form 'an impropriety' belongs to Sense 2 (a specific act).

2. a specific remark or action that is considered morally wrong, offensive, or sexu

2.名詞C1
釋義

不當言行

冒犯或不道德的具體言論或行為

a specific remark or action that is considered morally wrong, offensive, or sexually inappropriate in a particular setting — for example, telling an off-colour joke at a formal dinner or making an unwanted advance towards a colleague.

例句

The newspaper reported that the mayor had committed several improprieties during the charity gala.

報紙報導，市長在慈善晚會上做出了多次不當言行。

collocation: commit an impropriety

Astrid felt that the comment about her appearance was a serious impropriety.

Astrid 認為有關她外表的評論是非常嚴重的失禮言行。

同義詞
  • indecency

    specifically describes behaviour that violates accepted standards of sexual morality

  • offence

    broader term; can be used for any act that causes annoyance or resentment

  • indiscretion

    softer term suggesting lack of good judgment rather than deliberate wrongdoing

反義詞
  • decency

    behaviour that respects accepted social and moral standards

文法句型

commit an impropriety

make improprieties

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — use 'an impropriety' for a single instance and 'improprieties' for multiple. Often refers to sexually inappropriate behaviour, but can describe any offensive or indecorous act.

常見錯誤

❌She was shocked by the impropriety of his speech' (when referring to one specific rude remark).
✅She was shocked by the improprieties in his speech.
💡Use plural when referring to multiple specific remarks.

3. the abstract condition of being wrong, unsuitable, or out of place in a particul

3.名詞C2
釋義

不合宜

不恰當或不得體的性質與狀態

the abstract condition of being wrong, unsuitable, or out of place in a particular situation — for example, the realisation that a question you asked was too personal, or a feeling that a gift is too expensive to be appropriate.

例句

The impropriety of wearing jeans to a formal ceremony was clear to everyone present.

穿牛仔褲參加正式典禮的不合宜之處，在場所有人都看得清楚。

pattern: the impropriety of [noun/gerund]

Xiu realised the impropriety of forwarding the private email to the entire department.

Xiu 意識到將私人郵件轉發給整個部門的做法不合宜。

同義詞
反義詞
  • appropriateness

    the quality of being suitable or correct for a situation

  • suitability

    the degree to which something fits a purpose or context

文法句型

the impropriety of (doing) something

用法筆記

Almost always followed by an 'of'-phrase that specifies what is inappropriate. This sense describes a quality or judgement, not an action, so it cannot be used with verbs like 'commit' or 'deny'.

常見錯誤

❌He committed the impropriety of laughing loudly.
✅The impropriety of laughing loudly was obvious.
💡Sense 3 is a quality, not an act; use the 'impropriety of [something]' structure instead.