unwieldy

adjective

ˌən-ˈwēl-dē How to pronounce unwieldy (audio)
Definition of unwieldynext
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 In the meantime, there’s a lot of unwieldy comic commotion involving a missing corpse, a tweaking, naked Dwight and enough insipid TV sibling bickering to clog the airwaves for a decade. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Prospective candidates have complained that many of the requirements to run are unwieldy and onerous, including the 26 documents being required. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026 The salt flats are a big, unwieldy space to navigate, but the feeling of getting lost on them (with a guide who knows their way perfectly) is a real treat. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 Tanvir managed to run a fan using an unwieldy connection of power cords. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
  1. clumsy
  2. awkward
  3. cumbersome
  4. ungainly
  5. clunky
Adjective
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Feed your head Neagley gets off to a sluggish start, with a workmanlike, rather clumsy first episode largely spent establishing the main characters and central plot—and the writers lean a bit too hard on constant Chicago callbacks.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • The happy reunion is actually a bit awkward and tense at first.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Grappling with how the world has molded you, and how that manifests in life, in love, and in your day job, can be an awkward process.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Though there are other techniques for directly locating explosives, these tend to be cumbersome and can only detect explosives in bulk, while MineReader is as portable as a conventional detector rig.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The process for officially revoking certificates is slow and cumbersome, so browser makers have devised quicker methods to block specific certificates at the browser level.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cumbersome
Adjective
  • Snow geese are large, ungainly animals, while this puppet one is sleek and white.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Another standout scene features Floyd, who looks like a soft, somewhat ungainly middle-aged man, suddenly getting on a pommel horse and doing something extraordinary.
    — Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of ungainly
Adjective
  • While the world’s grand dining rooms served Champagne and Bordeaux in elegant crystal stemware, corner bistros and local trattorias poured even their best wines into clunky glass goblets.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, there are still plenty of clunky eyesores out there.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of clunky

Browse Nearby Words

unwholesome
unwieldy
unwilled
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of syncretic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All