gawkish

adjective

ˈgȯ-kish How to pronounce gawkish (audio)
Definition of gawkishnext
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner the kind of gawkish girl who trips while receiving her high school diploma

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawkish
  1. awkward
  2. clumsy
  3. unsteady
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
  • 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
  • So even if the Switch 2’s frame rate is unsteady, the handheld screen will hide the stutters and dips.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But the firm also highlights a 'bull case' where the Strait of Hormuz remains unsteady past the November 3rd elections in America and Brent pops back into the $110 range.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsteady
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.

Browse Nearby Words

gawking
gawkish
gawkishness
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Cite this Entry

“Gawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawkish. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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