clunky

adjective \ ˈkləŋ-kē \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of clunky

clunkier; clunkiest

: clumsy in style, form, or execution

a clunky thriller

clunky earrings

See clunky defined for English-language learners

Examples of clunky in a Sentence

I drive a clunky old station wagon.
His act was full of clunky one-liners.

Recent Examples of clunky from the Web

But its characters and performances keep it light on its feet, even when the writing gets clunky.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "Blockers is a solid raunch comedy that dares to let its teen girl characters be great," 5 Apr. 2018
Rendered in neutral palettes, these throwbacks offer a stylish step up from your old clunky running shoes.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "These Retro Sneakers Are a Step Up from New Balances," 4 Apr. 2018
His shirt resembled a Mac OS screensaver, and his sneakers were awkwardly clunky.

— emilia petrarca, The Cut, "The Super Bowl Halftime Show Tried to Mirror Fashion in 2018," 5 Feb. 2018
Admittedly, Laura Arnold said, the panels from that era were somewhat clunky and cumbersome in appearance.

— sarah bowman, Indianapolis Star, "HOAs rain on homeowners' solar parade, residents' property rights," 18 Jan. 2018
Even still, the transitions between scenes feel muddled and clunky.

— kerry reid, chicagotribune.com, "'For the Loyal' inspired by the real-life Penn State Sandusky case," 17 Jan. 2018
That said, the Go looks and feels exponentially better than the clunky Gear VR.

— adi robertson, The Verge, "Oculus’ $199 Go headset feels pretty good so far," 22 Mar. 2018
The agency recently accepted its 500th 7000-series railcar, and the last in the batch is expected to arrive by mid-2019, according to the plan, replacing the clunky 5000-series.

— faiz siddiqui, Washington Post, "Here’s how Metro says it would spend $15.5 billion over a decade," 17 Mar. 2018
And the third look was a blue body-hugging dress, fanny pack, oversized gray zip-up hoodie, and clunky footwear once again.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Debuted Kanye's Yeezy Season 7 Collection in Tokyo," 28 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clunky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of clunky

1968

in the meaning defined above

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clunky Synonyms

CLUNKY Defined for English Language Learners

clunky

adjective

Definition of clunky for English Language Learners

: large and awkward in form or appearance
: old and not working well
: badly or awkwardly made or done

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See words that rhyme with clunky Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clunky Spanish Central: Translation of clunky Nglish: Translation of clunky for Spanish speakers

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