Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective apt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of apt are appropriate, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than apt?

While in some cases nearly identical to apt, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When can felicitous be used instead of apt?

The words felicitous and apt can be used in similar contexts, but felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

In what contexts can fit take the place of apt?

In some situations, the words fit and apt are roughly equivalent. However, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When might fitting be a better fit than apt?

While the synonyms fitting and apt are close in meaning, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to apt?

The words happy and apt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When would meet be a good substitute for apt?

The meanings of meet and apt largely overlap; however, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When could proper be used to replace apt?

Although the words proper and apt have much in common, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When is it sensible to use suitable instead of apt?

The synonyms suitable and apt are sometimes interchangeable, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of apt While naming the exploration vehicle a bus is standard practice when referring to any spacecraft body designed to carry scientific instrumentation, its use this time is especially apt. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2025 Gilgeous-Alexander’s metaphor is apt because so many quality defenders dot this roster. John Hollinger, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025 The religious nature of the analogy is apt, given the elevated status of these three brands among Switzerland’s watch houses. Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025 The casting, actually, was apt: Lahiri liked to swipe extra notebooks from school closets. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for apt 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apt
Adjective
  • Braids are considered protective hairstyles for tighter curl patterns that lack moisture and are prone to breakage.
    Leslie D. Rose, Parents, 14 Jan. 2025
  • In fairness, this was not the collapse Villa had been prone to.
    Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Although most organic waste is suitable for bokashi composting, don’t add moldy food, pet waste, or excessive amounts of liquid or oil to your bokashi composter.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Plus, the ink is biodegradable, suitable for the 3D printer to work with, and nutritious for the fungi.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For the more tactically inclined, the current situation presents opportunities in the volatility market itself.
    Bob Haber, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
  • At this point, the Canucks seem more inclined to move Miller than Pettersson.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • With Biden, the vice presidency seemed to return to a more appropriate equilibrium after Cheney’s extraordinary tenure.
    Roy Brownell, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2025
  • This is an appropriate reception for a player who, for long spells, was irresistible against Brighton at the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens.
    Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The location seemed fitting for the executive-heavy and tech-centric crowd, since the museum focuses on architecture, design, engineering and urban planning.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 20 Jan. 2025
  • But now everything is closed in, and people still have strange desires that are not fitting in with today’s life.
    David Marchese, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Reacting to the decision by the Trump administration to close the U.S. visa section of the embassy in Colombia, Petro said there are thousands of Americans living in Colombia without proper documentation.
    Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
  • The show leaves us with the reminder that without proper investment in healthcare infrastructure, even the most skilled medical teams can be hindered in their efforts to save lives.
    Isadora Wandermurem, TIME, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Try slouchy or slim-fit designs tucked under midi hemlines, from skirts to dresses, and wider shafts with fitted or straight-leg jeans tucked in.
    Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024
  • Play with proportion by pairing it with a fitted miniskirt, or give it a baggy-on-baggy look with wide-leg jeans.
    Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • His most lasting fit partner-wise has been Myers, who barely played in the NHL last season.
    Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
  • They can be styled a myriad of ways, including with wide-leg jeans or paired with trousers and an oversized blazer for a chic work ‘fit.
    Emily Weaver, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near apt

Cite this Entry

“Apt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apt. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on apt

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