1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the tree cutter was crushing any unlucky petunias that lay in the path of his ungainly tread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungainly
Critics started using the ungainly term Apatowian to describe his imitators.
—
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
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
On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All signatory state parties would have to agree to add a new pathogen (or new type of organism of concern) to the convention, an ungainly process of herding cats that could make this effort hard to achieve.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
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
On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All signatory state parties would have to agree to add a new pathogen (or new type of organism of concern) to the convention, an ungainly process of herding cats that could make this effort hard to achieve.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
-
The clumsy, confusing rollout of the fees certainly didn’t help — as many residents who were promised a locals discount couldn’t figure out how to tap that benefit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Each additional finger adds mass, increasing the chances that fingers will collide, and making overall movement more clumsy.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Scenes around the dinner table are awkward to say the least, but Meg has a big supporter in bestie Penny (Sophia Torres) and a burning desire to bring this show to life against all odds.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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All four athletes stood together, smiling for photos through an undeniably awkward situation.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Remote online hearings, once considered unwieldy at best and unworkable at worst, became possible.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
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This is the Goldilocks board—substantial without being unwieldy, and priced right for most home cooks.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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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
Adjective
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Others utilize passive mechanical structures that are often cumbersome and can’t shift shape in real time.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Bleach solutions also work but are more cumbersome and require a several-minute soak time.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.—
Rebecca Santana,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
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The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.—
REBECCA SANTANA,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Experts said the leaderless and uncoordinated movement turned violent as economic protests intertwined with political ones.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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Last August, this problem became critical in Xinjiang, where uncoordinated wind generation caused low-frequency oscillations that threatened the broader national network.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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