cack-handed

adjective

cack-hand·​ed ˈkak-ˌhan-dəd How to pronounce cack-handed (audio)
Synonyms of cack-handednext
1
2
British : clumsy, awkward

Examples of cack-handed in a Sentence

some duffer with a cack-handed grip on his golf club
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the short term, the cack-handed control by the Chavistas will be replaced by other, more diffuse mechanisms of power and probably grayer, more pragmatic personalities. Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

English dialect cack, keck awkward

First Known Use

circa 1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cack-handed was circa 1851

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Cite this Entry

“Cack-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cack-handed. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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