GAWKY Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

gawky 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgȯ-kē

Definition of gawky

as in clumsy

having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner the stiff, gawky gait of a newborn colt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gawky

2 of 2

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 gawky

Adjective

The league’s very first pick, by the New York franchise, was Chloe Covell, a skinny, slightly gawky skateboarder from Australia’s Gold Coast. — David Bloom, Forbes.com, 14 Mar. 2026 Homeroom placement was designated by test scores, and Smith rightly recalled that her homeroom class with Tupac was filled by twenty-eight Black students — and a gawky white kid named William Yates. — Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025 Crenshaw made fun of Davidson’s gawky stature and then called for respect for all veterans as well as first responders in the 9/11 attacks — one of whom was Davidson’s father. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes. — Literary Hub, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for gawky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawky

Adjective

But more broadly, as streaming became the dominant way audiences consume entertainment, a shelf full of stuff started to look like a relic of a clumsier time that most folks were happy to forget.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
The decision last fall followed clumsy discussion by Kennedy’s dubiously qualified advisors, who make up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

Experts note that old brand safety rules are being recalibrated; the key is for brands to align authentically with the show's energy without appearing awkward.

— Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.

— Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of awkward

Noun

Star-studded, and then some, the upcoming show boasts giant of stage and screen John Lithgow as Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Golden Globe winner Janet McTeer as stern but wise Professor Minerva McGonagall, and comedy stalwart Nick Frost as gentle oaf Rubeus Hagrid.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
And in the 1939 film, the Wizard is a kind of bumbling oaf who has stumbled onto the levers of power (almost literally).

— Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Definition of oaf

Adjective

Using original photographs, and input from the Pourtout archives, the restoration team reversed the ungainly Saoutchik body modifications, and the curved windshield and twin rear-window design returned.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 3 July 2026
Instead of an ungainly pile of pillows, modern buyers prefer to let the materials sing.

— Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026

Definition of ungainly

Noun

Now that these lovable chaos agents are joined by all manner of fearsome, gelatinous people-eaters, parents might be wondering whether to have their youngest tykes sit this installment out.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 July 2026
At least Duncan’s daughter and fellow cadet, Teela (Eire Farrell), takes pity on the hopeless tyke.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026

Definition of tyke

Adjective

But the overall picture of the possible Russian drone campaign suggests that the European response has been fragmented and uncoordinated for the most part so far.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026
In November, a number of odd bedfellows submitted several, uncoordinated letters to the BLM’s acting director, all urging caution about the downstream effects of the CRA ruling.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026

Definition of uncoordinated

Noun

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
The badaud, by contrast, is always liable to form a group or crowd, either for a mass gawk or some communal response.

— Julian Barnes, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2022

Definition of gawk

Browse Nearby Words

gawks

gawky

gawp

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawky. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gawky

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on gawky

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

xeric

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes