Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gauche contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gauche are awkward, clumsy, inept, and maladroit. While all these words mean "not marked by ease (as of performance, movement, or social conduct)," gauche implies the effects of shyness, inexperience, or ill breeding.

felt gauche and unsophisticated at formal parties

When is it sensible to use awkward instead of gauche?

The words awkward and gauche can be used in similar contexts, but awkward is widely applicable and may suggest unhandiness, inconvenience, lack of muscular control, embarrassment, or lack of tact.

periods of awkward silence

Where would clumsy be a reasonable alternative to gauche?

The synonyms clumsy and gauche are sometimes interchangeable, but clumsy implies stiffness and heaviness and so may connote inflexibility, unwieldiness, or lack of ordinary skill.

a clumsy mechanic

When would inept be a good substitute for gauche?

While in some cases nearly identical to gauche, inept often implies complete failure or inadequacy.

a hopelessly inept defense attorney

In what contexts can maladroit take the place of gauche?

The words maladroit and gauche are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, maladroit suggests a tendency to create awkward situations.

a maladroit politician

Example Sentences

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 gauche For a scene at the iconically gauche-glam nightclub and restaurant Tatiana — where the surf and turf will run you $99 — only five crew members went inside. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024 The reason is very simple—the Noto palazzo was very gauche and fit for the party later in the season, to be thrown by Hollander’s character. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Dec. 2022 That would be too gauche, too legislative for the court. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 19 May 2022 Dear Looking: Greeting your host with your Gladware out and at the ready is definitely gauche. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 28 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for gauche
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gauche
Adjective
  • Candidate quality is an uncomfortable topic for political parties.
    Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • These gems combine the functionality of a bra with the comfort of a cozy piece of clothing, complete with bra shelves or cups to help support the girls without the need for an extra (and sometimes uncomfortable) wires and layers.
    Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2025
  • This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.
    Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Handing spending power to a piece of software makes people uneasy.
    Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • An uneasy calm, after two nights of chaos that saw tens of thousands of people pour out into the streets to vent their fury, setting fire to parliament and the Supreme Court – key symbols of state – and clashing with the government forces sent to keep them under control.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • And none of those figures includes losses victims were too embarrassed to report.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Dolphins were embarrassed in Indy, and Anthony Weaver’s defense — fourth-best in the league in yards allowed in 2024 — was an absolute no-show.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gauche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gauche. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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