Synonyms of ungainly

ungainly

adjective

ˌən-ˈgān-lē 

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

• clumsy
• awkward
• unwieldy
• cumbersome
• clunky
• cumbrous
• ponderous
• heavy
• unhandy
• cranky
• impractical
• massive
• unmanageable
• bulky
• uncontrollable
• bunglesome
• elephantine
• dinosauric
• impracticable
• hulking
• dinosaurian

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• practical
• useful
• functional
• handy
• practicable
• serviceable

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

• clumsy
• awkward
• gawky
• unsteady
• uncoordinated
• klutzy
• shuffling
• graceless
• wobbly
• lumbering
• shambling
• lubberly
• lumpish
• gawkish
• galumphing
• larruping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• graceful
• coordinated
• nimble
• lithe
• light
• lissome
• sure-footed
• light-footed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ungainly

The situation has grown so ungainly and untenable that, if Silicon Valley is merely forced to slow down, the viability of all this spending will likely be called into question in ways that could be devastating for many. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026

But the documentary is an ungainly blend of ultra-earnest hagiography and trashy true-crime sensationalism, without being completely satisfying as either. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026

And yet, within quarter of a century, this ungainly apparatus had established itself as a vital pillar of global governance. — Time, 26 Feb. 2026

Melbourne, Australia — An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun's rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight. — CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026

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