See malapropism in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for malapropism meaning in English (7.0kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "malapropos",
"3": "",
"4": "inappropriate; inappropriately"
},
"expansion": "malapropos (“inappropriate; inappropriately”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fr",
"3": "mal à propos"
},
"expansion": "French mal à propos",
"name": "der"
}
],
"etymology_text": "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 perhaps the best-known example of a familiar comedic character archetype who unintentionally substitutes inappropriate but like-sounding words that take on a ludicrous meaning when used incorrectly.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "malapropisms",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "~"
},
"expansion": "malapropism (countable and uncountable, plural malapropisms)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "examples of malapropisms"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "acyrologia"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "eggcorn"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "folk etymology"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"english": "a word that is well-known to seem to refer to something other than its referent but is nonetheless usually correct",
"word": "misnomer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "mondegreen"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"english": "a word that invites catachrestic use because of its sound or appearance",
"word": "phantonym"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "spoonerism"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "81 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "86 14",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "85 15",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -ism",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The script employed malapropism to great effect.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one."
],
"id": "en-malapropism-en-noun-J9LadSzZ",
"links": [
[
"blunder",
"blunder"
],
[
"absurdly",
"absurdly"
],
[
"inappropriate",
"inappropriate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable) The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one."
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "verhaspeling"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "malapropismi"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "abus de langage"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropisme"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "impropriété"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "paronimák felcserélése"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "paronimák összekeverése"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mífheilteachas"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "iimachigai",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "言い間違い"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "kmr",
"lang": "Northern Kurdish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "xeletbêjî"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "kmr",
"lang": "Northern Kurdish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "malapropîzm"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "gv",
"lang": "Manx",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "neuchooieid focklagh"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropizm"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "malapropízm",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "малапропи́зм"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ain-eirmseachd"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "gazapo"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropismo"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "yerro"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"code": "bo",
"lang": "Tibetan",
"roman": "tshig bed spyod byed stangs nor ba",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "ཚིག་བེད་སྤྱོད་བྱེད་སྟངས་ནོར་བ"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "The humor comes from all the malapropisms.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An instance of this; malaprop."
],
"id": "en-malapropism-en-noun-KBbJJarY",
"links": [
[
"malaprop",
"malaprop"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable) An instance of this; malaprop."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "10 90",
"sense": "instance of malapropism",
"word": "malaprop"
},
{
"_dis1": "10 90",
"sense": "instance of malapropism",
"word": "catachresis"
}
],
"tags": [
"countable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmæləpɹɒpˌɪzəm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-malapropism.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b9/En-us-malapropism.ogg/En-us-malapropism.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/En-us-malapropism.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"enpr": "mălʹə-prä-pĭzʹ-əm"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "malapropoism"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"malapropism"
],
"word": "malapropism"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 5-syllable words",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English eponyms",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from French",
"English terms suffixed with -ism",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "malapropos",
"3": "",
"4": "inappropriate; inappropriately"
},
"expansion": "malapropos (“inappropriate; inappropriately”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fr",
"3": "mal à propos"
},
"expansion": "French mal à propos",
"name": "der"
}
],
"etymology_text": "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 perhaps the best-known example of a familiar comedic character archetype who unintentionally substitutes inappropriate but like-sounding words that take on a ludicrous meaning when used incorrectly.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "malapropisms",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "~"
},
"expansion": "malapropism (countable and uncountable, plural malapropisms)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "examples of malapropisms"
},
{
"word": "acyrologia"
},
{
"word": "eggcorn"
},
{
"word": "folk etymology"
},
{
"english": "a word that is well-known to seem to refer to something other than its referent but is nonetheless usually correct",
"word": "misnomer"
},
{
"word": "mondegreen"
},
{
"english": "a word that invites catachrestic use because of its sound or appearance",
"word": "phantonym"
},
{
"word": "spoonerism"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The script employed malapropism to great effect.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one."
],
"links": [
[
"blunder",
"blunder"
],
[
"absurdly",
"absurdly"
],
[
"inappropriate",
"inappropriate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(uncountable) The blundering use of an absurdly inappropriate word or expression in place of a similar-sounding one."
],
"tags": [
"uncountable"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The translator matched every malapropism in the original with one from his own language.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "The humor comes from all the malapropisms.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An instance of this; malaprop."
],
"links": [
[
"malaprop",
"malaprop"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable) An instance of this; malaprop."
],
"tags": [
"countable"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmæləpɹɒpˌɪzəm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmæləpɹɑpˌɪzəm/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-malapropism.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b9/En-us-malapropism.ogg/En-us-malapropism.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/En-us-malapropism.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"enpr": "mălʹə-prä-pĭzʹ-əm"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "malapropoism"
},
{
"sense": "instance of malapropism",
"word": "malaprop"
},
{
"sense": "instance of malapropism",
"word": "catachresis"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "verhaspeling"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "malapropismi"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "abus de langage"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropisme"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "impropriété"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "paronimák felcserélése"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "paronimák összekeverése"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mífheilteachas"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "iimachigai",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "言い間違い"
},
{
"code": "kmr",
"lang": "Northern Kurdish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "xeletbêjî"
},
{
"code": "kmr",
"lang": "Northern Kurdish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "malapropîzm"
},
{
"code": "gv",
"lang": "Manx",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "neuchooieid focklagh"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropizm"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "malapropízm",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "малапропи́зм"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ain-eirmseachd"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "gazapo"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "malapropismo"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "yerro"
},
{
"code": "bo",
"lang": "Tibetan",
"roman": "tshig bed spyod byed stangs nor ba",
"sense": "the blundering use of a similar-sounding expression",
"word": "ཚིག་བེད་སྤྱོད་བྱེད་སྟངས་ནོར་བ"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"malapropism"
],
"word": "malapropism"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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