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."
Synonyms
Examples of unwieldy in a Sentence
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Every frame is wild and colorful, with lots of needle drops and an energy that is sometimes unwieldy.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Although this acknowledgment of the rest of the world’s interests is a welcome development, it is connected to a particular understanding of the global South, which, as a term, is conceptually unwieldy.
—Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
While made up of beloved actors, the cast is far too big and unwieldy for the story.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Cinematographer Cristian Solano’s unwieldy, pirouetting camera and intense color-capture imbue the film with dazzling, nearly Almodovarian energy, and these images — from vivid cityscapes to peaceful terrain — enchant us even when the story devolves into prosaic quirkiness.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
At some point, white papers went from useful, concise documents that could explain complex topics and offer unique insights to unwieldy, academic-like assessments that feel more like an overblown sales pitch than an offering of real opinions.
—April Rudin, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Given the unwieldy seven-person presidential council, the prime minister must be carefully selected, as that person will name the cabinet and execute decisions.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
An unwieldy right-wing alliance of secular and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, the coalition’s members are divided about whether the state should continue to allow young ultra-Orthodox men to study at religious seminaries instead of serving in the military, as most other Jewish Israelis do.
—Johnatan Reiss, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwieldy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unwieldy
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwieldy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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unwieldy
adjective
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