ungainly

ungainly

adjective

Definition of UNGAINLY

1

difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design <getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore>

Synonyms awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, clunky, cranky, cumbrous, ponderous, ungainly, unhandy, unwieldy

Related Words uncontrollable, unmanageable; bulky, dinosaurian, dinosauric, elephantine, heavy, hulking, massive; impracticable, impractical

Near Antonyms functional, practicable, practical, serviceable, useful

Antonyms handy

2

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 awkward, gawkish, gawky, graceless, klutzy, uncoordinated, ungainly

Related Words galumphing, larruping [dialect], lubberly, lumbering, lumpish, shambling, shuffling, unsteady, wobbly (also wabbly)

Near Antonyms light, light-footed (also light-foot), lissome (also lissom), lithe, nimble, sure-footed

Antonyms coordinated, graceful