unwieldy
adjective
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The Difference Between Wieldy and Unwieldy
The verb to wield means "to handle or exert something effectively." A carpenter might wield a hammer with impressive dexterity, for example, or a talented orator might wield influence over an audience of listeners. Something that is "wieldy" is capable of being wielded easily, and while that adjective may not be particularly common, its antonym "unwieldy" finds ample use to describe anything that is awkward to handle, move, or manage. "Wield" and its relatives all derive via Middle English from Old English wieldan, meaning "to control."
Examples of unwieldy in a Sentence
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 10 May 2025
Comment By necessity of its ambitious and sometimes unwieldy four-seasons-in-one structure, the second season of Andor has developed, at its midway point, a complex relationship with time.
—Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 7 May 2025
Realizing that the Defense Acquisition Guidebook, which ran to nearly 2,000 pages of rules, was cumbersome and unwieldy, Defense Department leaders launched a massive effort to update it.
—Mara Karlin, Foreign Affairs, 24 Apr. 2025
The offerings vary greatly, the rugged but versatile two-door Defender 90 to the unwieldy three-row, eight-passenger Defender 130.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwieldy. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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unwieldy
adjective
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