as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the kind of gawkish girl who trips while receiving her high school diploma
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawkish
Adjective
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When cutting food, holding the meat with the fork in an awkward vertical position.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026 -
Other awkward—and more viral—moments included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stealing the spotlight from Modi by refusing to hold hands for a photo op designed to be a show of unity and triumph.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Lizzie McGuire made viewers feel seen because Duff was clumsy and awkward, falling into platters of spaghetti and getting dumped by her first boyfriend.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
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The tech driving my first clumsy steps included a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and GPS sensors monitoring each ski’s position and the weight and angle of my heel.—
Kendall Hunter,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That scandal has shaken an already unsteady Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite Starmer’s having never so much as encountered Epstein himself.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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The only problem is the Heat are a commendable but unsteady evangelist for trying to win every night out.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Gawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawkish. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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