CLUNKY Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

clunky

adjective

ˈkləŋ-kē

Definition of clunky

as in clumsy

difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design even my five-year-old laptop seems clunky next to some of the really slim new models

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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.

Recent Examples of clunky Failing to do so can make for a clunky, inefficient shift and wear down components over time. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 The boyfriend, a British DJ named James Kennedy, who had been playing a clunky set in the background, weaves over to the women, sweaty and frazzled. — Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 The company, called Luffu, announced its first hardware product Tuesday, prioritizing a jewelry-like design over the clunky appearance of traditional medical devices. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 What results is a clunky viewing experience that tips the scales in favor of neither timeline, each half feeling like the first half of a full episode. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clunky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky

Adjective

Such episodes now look like clumsy moments in a decade of dissembling.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Yirenki’s challenge on Christos Tzolis is clumsy, but well short of a first yellow card, let alone a second.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
That puts the conference’s universities in an awkward—and potentially paradoxical—position of promoting a product that researchers within their academic departments have raised concerns about.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

But the situation remains murky and operations are cumbersome, with rescuers digging by hand.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Another important implication is that once a country is removed from the State Department list, getting it back on is bureaucratically cumbersome.

— Jason M. Blazakis, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of cumbersome

Browse Nearby Words

clunks

clunky

cluster

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“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clunky

adjective

Example Sentences

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