HAM-FISTED Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

ham-fisted

adjective

ˈham-ˌfi-stəd

Definition of ham-fisted

as in clumsy

lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands that's a ham-fisted paint job if I ever saw one

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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 ham-fisted And some obvious references to the Garden of Eden with a woman named Eve searching for her truth are ham-fisted, but also a hallmark of the genre. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2025 The bill could not have been better designed to violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause; as a law school practice problem, it would have been considered a little ham-fisted. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025 Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025 Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success. — Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ham-fisted

Adjective

But even those fans of her socially clumsy and feverishly party-planning mayor’s assistant Patricia on that series may not be prepared for her soulful, wrenching work in Mike Leigh’s latest film.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
And given how clumsy its efforts have been, this is clearly the leadership of the Department of Justice acceding to the wishes of the president of the United States even when there is no sound legal basis to proceed.

— John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

Mallen Kupferer, the daughter of two theater artists and an actor since early childhood, is a wonder to watch, her performance as authentic and awkward as any teenager.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
The route passes through neighborhoods including NoDa and Plaza Midwood, offering lively pockets of support but also quieter stretches, awkward turns and hills that can feel particularly unforgiving late in the race.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of awkward

Browse Nearby Words

hamartias

ham-fisted

ham-handed

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“Ham-fisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ham-fisted. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of ham-fisted

adjective

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