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
Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
The attention attracts con artist Jacob (Robbie Allen), who sends three clumsy thieves led by Kodiak (Richmond) to steal the kangaroo and appease the wealthy Kathryn (Kinmont) and her ailing son.
—William Earl, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
When questions surfaced about Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff and the novel’s racial implications, Fennell’s response, rooted in her childhood perception, felt clumsy.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
Soon, Hegseth jumped on the Harvard-bashing train, a kind of me-too move similar to the secretary’s clumsy attempts to involve himself in the administration’s immigration mayhem in Minnesota.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
The attention attracts con artist Jacob (Robbie Allen), who sends three clumsy thieves led by Kodiak (Richmond) to steal the kangaroo and appease the wealthy Kathryn (Kinmont) and her ailing son.
—William Earl, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
When questions surfaced about Elordi’s casting as Heathcliff and the novel’s racial implications, Fennell’s response, rooted in her childhood perception, felt clumsy.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
Soon, Hegseth jumped on the Harvard-bashing train, a kind of me-too move similar to the secretary’s clumsy attempts to involve himself in the administration’s immigration mayhem in Minnesota.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clumsy
Adjective
-
He is seen as favoring Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, to take over WEF, though her huffy exit this year from a dinner stacked with US government officials may make things awkward.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Every one of these new bits of hardware introduced a new set of uncoordinated chatter of alarms that simply produced noise.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Woody was a slightly uncoordinated and not-so-strong cowboy cop who relied more on his sense of humor than his brawn.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Designed by eccentric furniture designer Max Lamb, these monastically narrow and profoundly uncomfortable seats are the kind of pieces that fill penthouses and palazzos all over the world.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
-
As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Swapping them out can be an expensive, cumbersome process, requiring months of research, development and employee retraining, said Neil Doherty, senior director of business growth and culinary strategy at Sysco.—
Bloomberg,
Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Both his dip in production and lack of availability were the result of a Morel-Lavallée lesion that ultimately required surgery on Carlsson’s thigh to correct the cumbersome, painful issue.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His father calls me rude names and fights with my fiance.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
By decreasing road manners, drivers increase the possibility of aggressive behavior becoming harmful rather than rude.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And yet, within quarter of a century, this ungainly apparatus had established itself as a vital pillar of global governance.—
Time,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Melbourne, Australia — An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun's rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Arab leaders have sought to calm nationals and expatriate residents who chose to move to the Persian Gulf region for stability, safety and the promise of prosperity, but who are increasingly growing uneasy as the conflict becomes more chaotic.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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In Canada, as elsewhere, the climate movement, after years of raucous visibility, has largely fallen into a state of uneasy quietude.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The slow progress of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the bureaucracy of the African Union shows how ineffective an unwieldy pan-African vision can be.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Paring knives are too short to get the job done, and chef’s knives (including the gyuto) can be too unwieldy for such delicate work.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clumsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clumsy. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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