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
Straining for its ungainly combination of action, romance and silly comedy, Love Hurts doesn’t fully succeed in any department.
—
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But then, only an actor who doesn’t quite fit in could have brought László to life with his ungainly, spirited passion, vanity and self-belief intact.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
The apparent impact is on video, with the ungainly trims placed on the picture demanded by a wide corner a thing of the past on the S25 Utlra.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
With two soldiers able to wrestle the ungainly seven foot long M20 into position on its tripod, the mobility of such a lethal system proved to be a game changer.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But then, only an actor who doesn’t quite fit in could have brought László to life with his ungainly, spirited passion, vanity and self-belief intact.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
The apparent impact is on video, with the ungainly trims placed on the picture demanded by a wide corner a thing of the past on the S25 Utlra.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
With two soldiers able to wrestle the ungainly seven foot long M20 into position on its tripod, the mobility of such a lethal system proved to be a game changer.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
-
Where the real Colin and Emma have trouble getting much further than a clumsy hug after a putt-putt date, some of the acting couples have increased their intimacy levels with breathtaking speed.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
-
Word's document comparison interface is also clumsy and confusing compared with FineReader's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There was an awkward overhead in the third game that Sinner couldn’t meet square on.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
-
But the timing of the Rockies’ decision was awkward.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
But as evening hours set in, the upbeat tone stood at odds with the unwieldy scene at the Capitol.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
-
There’s a lot of comedy in the unwieldy quadrilateral chest panel of Alex’s dress.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
The one big cable that neither of the solutions could easily eliminate, however, is the big, gawky PCI Express power cable that runs in and out of a graphics card, which to an extent spoils the effect.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
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Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The development partnership, the Vets Collective, relied on tax credit financing, a cumbersome process that not only can add years to a project but also only funds housing.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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My cumbersome climbing gear rests, along with everyone else’s, on a tarp.—
Michael Ray Taylor,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Not only that, but he was being fed an unsteady diet of cockroaches.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
4 May 2025
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His unsteady performance has left markets lurching from one crisis to another, and his contempt for tradition continues to rattle both Washington institutionalists and Wall Street investors.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
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For years, poor governance has doomed the Chicago region to an inefficient, uncoordinated transit system that fails to adequately serve its riders.—
Joe Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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