as in clumsy
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the stiff, gawky gait of a newborn colt
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Recent Examples of gawky
John Burek, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
Brittany Murphy, who co-starred as gawky new kid Tai, sadly passed away in 2009.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
Take it from a film critic: Even gawky beta nerds get smothered by their own internalized masculinity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gawky
Noun
The one big cable that neither of the solutions could easily eliminate, however, is the big, gawky PCI Express power cable that runs in and out of a graphics card, which to an extent spoils the effect.
—John Burek, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
Brittany Murphy, who co-starred as gawky new kid Tai, sadly passed away in 2009.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
Take it from a film critic: Even gawky beta nerds get smothered by their own internalized masculinity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gawky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawky
Adjective
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The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Camels seem slow, hippos clumsy, phoenixes unstable, lions lazy.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There’s at least one major shoe that could drop — why devote an entire episode to the Gemstone origin story if that gold Bible isn’t going to pay off somehow? — but The Righteous Gemstones loves these grotesque, dysfunctional louts.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
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That’s the memorable insult that James Kennedy (the DJ of the group) hurled at Tom Sandoval (the resident lout) last season after Sandoval — who had a girlfriend — became romantically involved with Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
Noun
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Either Sandler could make great work but cynically chooses not to in order to make more money, or Sandler is a talentless oaf who somehow was able to achieve something actually good with the help of a visionary director.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
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Hackman’s aggravation early on that directors didn’t seek out and exploit his comic and even improv talents was handled unforgettably in his portrayal of Superman villain Lex Luthor, a flamboyant oaf of Trumpian proportions.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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An absolute charmer, the film is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
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On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This echoes remarks his envoy Steve Witkoff made after the latest round of talks collapsed, slamming Hamas as uncoordinated and not acting in good faith and saying the US would explore alternative options to secure hostage release and stabilize Gaza.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
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Moreover, uncoordinated attacks, often by motivated individuals acting on their own, can still occur, as has happened in Israel since 2023.—
DANIEL BYMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
28 July 2025
Noun
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An inspiring 60-second spot from Pampers features an array of wee tykes, all being comforted or protected by the popular Procter & Gamble diaper.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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James, who was first introduced to TV viewers as Family Matters tyke Richie Crawford, has forged an impressive career in daytime.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Carrie raves to Seema about her creative connection with Duncan, and during another writing session, Duncan helps Carrie with her faulty printer and gawks at her closet full of designer dresses and shoes.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
31 July 2025
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Here, the blurring is visual: Sometimes Leonard floats into the past looking like Gere, who wears the character without a shred of self-protection as the lens gawks at his raw skin.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Gawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawky. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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