Malapropism

C1 16+

Pronunciation: /mæləˌprɒpɪzəm/

Definitions of malapropism

noun a humorous misuse of a word by confusing it with a similar-sounding word

Example Sentences

A1 I heard a funny malapropism in the movie last night.

A2 She often makes malapropisms when she's nervous and trying to speak quickly.

B1 The comedian's act was filled with clever malapropisms that had the audience laughing non-stop.

B2 Despite his intelligence, he occasionally makes embarrassing malapropisms that make everyone chuckle.

C1 The politician's frequent malapropisms became a running joke during the campaign.

C2 The author's use of malapropisms added a unique and humorous element to the novel.

Examples of malapropism in a Sentence

formal The speaker's use of malapropisms during the presentation detracted from the professionalism of the event.

informal She always makes me laugh with her unintentional malapropisms when she's telling a story.

slang I can't believe he used that malapropism in his text message, it was so funny!

figurative His constant malapropisms in conversation made it hard to take him seriously.

Grammatical Forms of malapropism

past tense

malapropped

plural

malapropisms

comparative

more malapropic

superlative

most malapropic

present tense

malaprops

future tense

will malaprop

perfect tense

have malapropped

continuous tense

is malapropping

singular

malapropism

positive degree

malapropic

infinitive

to malaprop

gerund

malapropping

participle

malapropped

Origin and Evolution of malapropism

First Known Use: 1775 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The word 'malapropism' originated from the character Mrs. Malaprop in the play 'The Rivals' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe the misuse of words by the character Mrs. Malaprop, the term 'malapropism' has evolved to refer to the unintentional use of a word that sounds similar to the intended word but has a completely different meaning.