1
as in awkward
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
diamond cutting is no job for a clumsy person
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2
as in uncoordinated
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
a clumsy bow clumsy on the dance floor
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3
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
felt clumsy in the unfamiliar uniform
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4
as in inexperienced
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
a clumsy joke
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5
as in cumbersome
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
a clumsy contraption, but it got the job done
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6
as in rude
hastily or roughly constructed
a clumsy mock-up of the real thing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clumsy
Audiences are allowed a peek into the tense and clumsy feelings Mr. Darcy holds.
—
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
Clamp mounts can be clumsy depending on the design, but the best ones have a button or twist knob for relaxing the tightening mechanisms that hold the phone in place.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
For those things that are bigger, or subject to rough forces like clumsy human hands, through-hole soldering is still required, with leads poked through a connective hole and solder applied to connect and join them securely.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
Clamp mounts can be clumsy depending on the design, but the best ones have a button or twist knob for relaxing the tightening mechanisms that hold the phone in place.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
For those things that are bigger, or subject to rough forces like clumsy human hands, through-hole soldering is still required, with leads poked through a connective hole and solder applied to connect and join them securely.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clumsy
Adjective
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There was an awkward overhead in the third game that Sinner couldn’t meet square on.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
-
But the timing of the Rockies’ decision was awkward.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Social-media companies try to stem cartels’ activity on their sites, but their efforts have been sporadic and uncoordinated.—
Antón Barba-Kay,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2025
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Yet compared with the first Trump administration, when the threat to American democracy was not as stark, the resistance today is limited and uncoordinated.—
Laura Gamboa,
Foreign Affairs,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Alexander Skarsgard’s tendency is toward characters who maintain the unavoidable aspect of beauty, but are uncomfortable looking like Alexander Skarsgard, or work to hide their beauty under buckets of blood or threats of abuse.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2025
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What’s undeniable is that the sight of someone who has contributed so much to Liverpool’s success in the modern era being subjected to such treatment on Sunday was deeply uncomfortable.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The development partnership, the Vets Collective, relied on tax credit financing, a cumbersome process that not only can add years to a project but also only funds housing.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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My cumbersome climbing gear rests, along with everyone else’s, on a tarp.—
Michael Ray Taylor,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Proctor sent a series of rude, lewd and unprofessional text messages about Read and the investigation, which led to his firing.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
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There was also a three-homer game for Pablo Sandoval in the 2012 World Series, but it’s considered rude to talk about that in 2025.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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That dispute was patched over by an ungainly agreement, negotiated between the European Commission and the U.S. government.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Apr. 2025
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Examples imported from 1975 through 1985 had rather ungainly impact bumpers, so early, chrome-bumper cars are aesthetically more desirable.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These chewy ginger candies are her secret weapon for taming an uneasy stomach naturally.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2025
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The Wall Street firm predicted that international institutional investors could be rethinking their appetite and risk-reward in U.S. investments as the current uneasy macroenvironment keeps them on edge.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Unlike its larger counterparts that may feel unwieldy within the confines of the hallowed relish tray, the little forks are just the right size for daintily placing in small bowls of various pickled delights, from okra to onions, or nestling alongside the crudités.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Clumsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clumsy. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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