Synonyms of cumbersome

cumbersome

adjective

ˈkəm-bər-səm 

as in clumsy

difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design

a long-handled wrench that is too cumbersome for tight spots, such as under the sink

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clumsy
• awkward
• unwieldy
• clunky
• ungainly
• cumbrous
• unhandy
• ponderous
• heavy
• impractical
• cranky
• bulky
• unmanageable
• massive
• bunglesome
• uncontrollable
• impracticable
• dinosauric
• elephantine
• hulking
• dinosaurian

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• practical
• useful
• functional
• handy
• practicable
• serviceable

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective cumbersome differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cumbersome are cumbrous, heavy, ponderous, and weighty. While all these words mean "having great weight," cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture

early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Where would heavy be a reasonable alternative to cumbersome?

While in some cases nearly identical to cumbersome, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When can ponderous be used instead of cumbersome?

The words ponderous and cumbersome can be used in similar contexts, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

When might weighty be a better fit than cumbersome?

In some situations, the words weighty and cumbersome are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cumbersome

In 2021, a Northwestern University team including Efimov unveiled a quarter-sized, biodegradable temporary pacemaker without cumbersome batteries, rigid components, or wiring. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2025

Over the course of his pontificate, Francis contended with conservatives and with a cumbersome bureaucracy practiced in the art of resisting change. —Randall Balmer, Time, 21 Apr. 2025

But deportation — a cumbersome process generally involving an arrest, detention, a removal order from a judge and finally a flight out of the U.S. — can take months or years. —Alyson Hurt, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025

Any spending above that limit requires a cumbersome approval process. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2025