1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the tree cutter was crushing any unlucky petunias that lay in the path of his ungainly tread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungainly
On the other, the quick and almost casual way in which Kirsh runs through what he’s figured out is emblematic of an ungainly episode that seems in a rush to get through a lot of things, especially where the Xenomorph is concerned.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2025
The official title is technically F1®: The Movie, an ungainly, trademarked reminder of both the brand the film was made in conjunction with, and the fact that that brand is so big that this $200-300 million Hollywood production is a blip in comparison.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 June 2025
The cornerstones of maps’ data pools are satellite images and a tireless fleet of Street View cars that roam with ungainly camera hats, constantly refreshing neighborhood-level detail.
—Sonya Bennett-Brandt, AFAR Media, 25 June 2025
The resulting Cheetah was, frankly, an ungainly machine, more like an oversized four-wheel ATV than a Ford Bronco or Mercedes G-Wagen.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2025
The official title is technically F1®: The Movie, an ungainly, trademarked reminder of both the brand the film was made in conjunction with, and the fact that that brand is so big that this $200-300 million Hollywood production is a blip in comparison.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 June 2025
The cornerstones of maps’ data pools are satellite images and a tireless fleet of Street View cars that roam with ungainly camera hats, constantly refreshing neighborhood-level detail.
—Sonya Bennett-Brandt, AFAR Media, 25 June 2025
The resulting Cheetah was, frankly, an ungainly machine, more like an oversized four-wheel ATV than a Ford Bronco or Mercedes G-Wagen.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
-
The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
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This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Arafat led the Fatah movement and was the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization, a sometimes unwieldy umbrella group of various Palestinian factions, ranging from outright Marxist to avowedly Islamist and everything in between.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Now, Russia’s and Ukraine’s Soviet-era tanks rumble across the battlefield covered in anti-drone nets and spikes, dangling chains and unwieldy cages.—
Marco Hernandez,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Pedrad made history as the first Iranian American castmember on Saturday Night Live, before bending age and gender to play a gawky 14-year-old Persian American boy in the coming-of-age sitcom Chad.—
Dan Bilefsky,
HollywoodReporter,
25 July 2025
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Agnes has a gawky, floppy-haired beauty, a gently appraising stare, quizzically arching eyebrows, and a tendency to listen with her mouth half open, as if in anticipation of a punch line that will take her, and us, by surprise.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The result is slow, siloed and cumbersome for all parties involved.—
Jason Truppi,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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Kazlauskas told Ars that about 300 users can be added each day due to the cumbersome and allegedly shifting process for porting over data.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Bator cites both external factors (such as geopolitical conflicts or the unsteady global economy) and internal ones (such as burnout and uncertainty).—
Mark C. Perna,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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On the game’s fourth play, the Michigan transfer got up after a 3-yard rush on a keeper and wobbled off the field on unsteady legs.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This echoes remarks his envoy Steve Witkoff made after the latest round of talks collapsed, slamming Hamas as uncoordinated and not acting in good faith and saying the US would explore alternative options to secure hostage release and stabilize Gaza.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
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Moreover, uncoordinated attacks, often by motivated individuals acting on their own, can still occur, as has happened in Israel since 2023.—
DANIEL BYMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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