BUTTERFINGERED Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

butterfingered

adjective

ˈbə-tər-ˌfiŋ-gərd

Definition of butterfingered

as in clumsy

lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands I'm so butterfingered this morning—I keep dropping things

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butterfingered

Adjective

Watson is a decade into this league — and quickly playing his way out of it — making the same clumsy mistakes that plagued Shedeur Sanders as a late-round rookie last year.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Such attempts to touch on the highly personal connections people have to Oasis’s music feel clumsy and forced, especially when juxtaposed with the brothers’ rather anonymous comments.

— Elena Lazic, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

At least the latter gives you something to do with yourself during the awkward time that was really just meant for wedding party photo opportunities with no thought of the inconvenience to the guests.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Continue reading … -- POLITICS TELLING SILENCE — Socialist mayor's awkward response scrutinized after police chief's nervous glances.

— , FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

At her side is her maladroit cameraman Manu, (a winning turn from Jean-Baptiste Shelmerdine).

— John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
Michael Strassner, who co-wrote the film with Duplass, stars as Cliff, a physically maladroit, mildly depressive but sweet-natured man whose thick beard and portly bearing suggest Lord of the Rings-era Peter Jackson.

— Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025

Definition of maladroit

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

buttered up

butterfingered

butterfingers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Butterfingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butterfingered. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of butterfingered

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compendious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes