clumsy

adjective

clum·​sy ˈkləm-zē How to pronounce clumsy (audio)
clumsier; clumsiest
1
a
: lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace
clumsy fingers
b
: lacking tact or subtlety
a clumsy joke
2
: awkward or inefficient in use or construction : unwieldy
a clumsy contraption
criticized her sentence for its clumsy construction
clumsily adverb
clumsiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for clumsy

awkward, clumsy, maladroit, inept, gauche mean not marked by ease (as of performance, movement, or social conduct).

awkward is widely applicable and may suggest unhandiness, inconvenience, lack of muscular control, embarrassment, or lack of tact.

periods of awkward silence

clumsy implies stiffness and heaviness and so may connote inflexibility, unwieldiness, or lack of ordinary skill.

a clumsy mechanic

maladroit suggests a tendency to create awkward situations.

a maladroit politician

inept often implies complete failure or inadequacy.

a hopelessly inept defense attorney

gauche implies the effects of shyness, inexperience, or ill breeding.

felt gauche and unsophisticated at formal parties

Examples of clumsy in a Sentence

I'm sorry about spilling your wine—that was very clumsy of me. I have very clumsy hands and tend to drop things. She made a clumsy attempt at a joke.
Recent Examples on the Web Electric cars are quieter than gas engines, and a bike makes the electric car seem loud, but an owl makes all human existence sound noisy and clumsy in the extreme. Jack Gedney, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 But the country has sometimes been held back by an approach that sees film predominantly as a tool to support the tourism industry, a flatlining local box office and clumsy censorship. Patrick Frater, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Josie and Jim's date in the moonlight is an awkward but intense pas de deux of sweet romantic moments and clumsy emotional stumbles. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2024 After their clumsy and hypocritical testimony before the House on the storms of antisemitism that have blown on their campuses, Magill, president of Penn, and Scott Bok, chairman of the board of trustees who backed her, resigned their positions. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 Your clumsy partner knocked a glass of water onto it. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024 And yet the operas remain curiosities better heard than seen, often composed to clumsy librettos and denied the revisions that could have accompanied rehearsals. Joshua Barone, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Fortunately, by the third episode, the pace picks up and the central conflicts are well underway; however, viewers will have to get through the first two slow, clumsy installments in order to proceed at full steam. Jessica Liese, Variety, 14 Feb. 2024 Schwarzenegger ultimately agreed to pre-pay taxes on the item and left with the timepiece in hand, though the process of finalizing the paperwork took much longer than expected, as the same source decried the allegedly clumsy sequence of events at the airport. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clumsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from obsolete English clumse benumbed with cold

First Known Use

circa 1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of clumsy was circa 1598

Dictionary Entries Near clumsy

Cite this Entry

“Clumsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clumsy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clumsy

adjective
clum·​sy ˈkləm-zē How to pronounce clumsy (audio)
clumsier; clumsiest
1
a
: lacking skill or grace in movement
clumsy fingers
b
: showing social awkwardness or a lack of tact
a clumsy attempt at a joke
2
: awkwardly or poorly made : hard to use
a clumsy tool
clumsily adverb
clumsiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on clumsy

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