as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
an unwieldy machine that requires two people to operate it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 unwieldy
But shooting an entire feature film on the famously big, loud and unwieldy Imax film cameras (unlike the lighter, quieter digital Imax cameras, used in recent films such as Thunderbolts* and the upcoming Superman) was unworkable.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
The premise is an unwieldy new dragon arrives in Berk and doesn't appear to immediately respond to Hiccup's famous dragon whisperer-like touch, prompting him to question his abilities.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 May 2025
To some extent, the Dardennes distract us from this listicle of issues with the skill of old hands used to making unwieldy narratives work.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Several protesters were injured, some of them critically, by Flash-balls fired by riot police, or by cops sent out to quell demonstrations that were growing increasingly unwieldy.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
The premise is an unwieldy new dragon arrives in Berk and doesn't appear to immediately respond to Hiccup's famous dragon whisperer-like touch, prompting him to question his abilities.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 May 2025
To some extent, the Dardennes distract us from this listicle of issues with the skill of old hands used to making unwieldy narratives work.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Several protesters were injured, some of them critically, by Flash-balls fired by riot police, or by cops sent out to quell demonstrations that were growing increasingly unwieldy.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
-
Herbert includes a range of moments, from earnest attempts to talk about the enslaved people that maintained all these palatial homes to clumsier ones in which they are referred to as workers, insinuating that their labor was paid for instead of forced.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2025
-
The aftermath of Virginia’s clumsy tumble into a rose bed where her exposed cleavage is profusely pricked by thorns lasts for all of one scene.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
Regional flashpoints have now put China in an awkward position.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
At times awkward, but mostly gorgeous, catchy and sincere.—
Darian Sahanaja,
Variety,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
In-call operations, such as managing state or editing messages, are more cumbersome with audio.—
Arkadiy Telegin,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
For sharp images, stability is key—but a traditional tripod is cumbersome inside the confines of a safari vehicle.—
Lauren Breedlove,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
The resulting Cheetah was, frankly, an ungainly machine, more like an oversized four-wheel ATV than a Ford Bronco or Mercedes G-Wagen.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
22 May 2025
-
That dispute was patched over by an ungainly agreement, negotiated between the European Commission and the U.S. government.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There are a few family members who only wear olive, mustard, khaki, black and other dull colors; clunky, unattractive shoes; and few accessories.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
One of the reasons that Ray-Ban and Meta have acheived some success is that the smart glasses, far from the clunky original iterations, have a stylish and familiar design and they are being sold across Ray-Ban’s stores network.—
Mark Faithfull,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share