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

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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

Played in full, Silent Way induces a pervasive nausea, reveling in gawky soundscapes that seem barely able to contain their outsized, clashing ideas. — Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for gawky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawky

Adjective

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
Vocals are surprisingly good, despite the show being a bit awkward and clumsy at times.

— Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Noun

That self-deprecating description opens Tony, writer-director Matt Johnson’s movie about the one crazy summer that changed a thoughtless young lout’s life; for good measure, the quote does double duty as the tagline on the film’s poster.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
That isn’t enough to humble our black-eyed lout, but spending a few months as a dishwasher at The Flagship in exchange for getting to sleep on the head chef’s hammock soon will.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026

Definition of lout

Adjective

The Moon in Pisces moves through your 6th House of Work, Health, and Daily Routines while making an awkward angle to Venus in Libra and your 1st House of Self.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
Most of us have felt awkward during those first tentative steps back into dating.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 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

Another standout scene features Floyd, who looks like a soft, somewhat ungainly middle-aged man, suddenly getting on a pommel horse and doing something extraordinary.

— Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of ungainly

Noun

Told from a baby’s perspective, the Nickelodeon classic kept the action at ground (or carpet) level, offering a hilarious exploration of how tykes perceive and process adult concepts.

— Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026
However, their budding relationship is strained by the possibility that the tyke might be the Antichrist.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026

Definition of tyke

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

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“Gawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawky. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of gawky

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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