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
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
The movie begins in 1989, when Martin was just out of her teens and fighting in Toughwoman contests, and spans 22 years, providing all sorts of opportunities for ungainly period hairstyles, from a ragged pageboy to a curly mullet to a frizzy shag.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
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
The movie begins in 1989, when Martin was just out of her teens and fighting in Toughwoman contests, and spans 22 years, providing all sorts of opportunities for ungainly period hairstyles, from a ragged pageboy to a curly mullet to a frizzy shag.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
-
After the zapfest on Earth, the anti-climactic tussle between the forces of good and evil occurs back on Eternia, where He-Man and his nemesis cross swords in a clumsy fight that’s not only predictable but also photographed and edited poorly.—
Jeffrey Ressner,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
The simple walking pattern adopted by fish, which the Cambridge researchers call an ‘undulating tripod gait’, can appear to be quite clumsy and involves too much flopping.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The disparity has forced Goldman into the awkward position of defending a seat he’s held for two terms by running, at least in part, as the outsider.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
Between see-through fabrics, ill-fitting straps, and awkward hemlines, there are plenty of misses.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
Weihl is dealing with heady concepts here, and at this crucial point—the project’s de facto mission statement—they’re too unwieldy, pushing her down cryptic dead-end roads.—
Raphael Helfand,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
That's thanks in large part to Hathaway's winning turn as Mia Thermopolis, a gawky teenager who discovers that her estranged grandmother (Julie Andrews) is actually the queen of a small country.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
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These were held at high schools filled with gawky kids in suits that always fit badly but never in the same way: the tie was too long, the pants or the skirt too small, the jacket was borrowed from an older sibling.—
Eli Durst,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Frette linen bathrobes were soft, not overly cumbersome like most robes tend to be.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
The first image in the exhibition announced the playful tenor of the oversize works, which often verged on the ludic despite the lack of spontaneity owing to the cumbersome Land Camera.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Oil prices have been unsteady as hopes rise and fade that the United States and Iran can reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Fledglings can look unsteady or weak, but the parents are nearby for protection.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
European powers responded with waves of uncoordinated border closures and trade restrictions that caused enormous economic damage without reliably stopping transmission.—
Katrine L. Wallace,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
These incidents are part of a growing pattern of uncoordinated gatherings that have increased in size and frequency over the past several years.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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