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

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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 Beyond the walls of the company’s London headquarters, which is filled with thousands of its plushy pink octopus mascots, Jackson’s empire may look like an unwieldy one. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 According to Macallair, who has been working on juvenile justice reform for more than 40 years, any facility with more than 10 kids becomes unwieldy, distracting from rehabilitation and becoming more correctional. — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
  1. clumsy
  2. awkward
  3. cumbersome
  4. ungainly
  5. clunky
Adjective
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • The Basketmaker—whose skills go far beyond furniture making—weaves her a match, Fiddler on the Roof-like, and the Fisherwoman, after an awkward matrimonial moment, takes Wicker Husband home to her funky little cottage.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The pushback is awkward for a government that went out of its way to land the project.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Less cumbersome portable hifi listening Accessibility Innovations improving life for the elderly and people with disabilities.
    — Time, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Affordable electric bikes usually mean enduring heavy frames, clunky kick-in for the motor and unrefined, unpredictable power delivery.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But women looking for front wands have been stuck with unheated manual models or clunky sprayers.
    — Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of clunky

Browse Nearby Words

unwholesome
unwieldy
unwilled
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Cite this Entry

“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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