Synonyms of unwieldy

unwieldy

adjective

ˌən-ˈwēl-dē 

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

• clumsy
• awkward
• cumbersome
• ungainly
• clunky
• cumbrous
• ponderous
• unhandy
• heavy
• cranky
• impractical
• unmanageable
• massive
• bulky
• uncontrollable
• bunglesome
• impracticable
• elephantine
• dinosauric
• hulking
• dinosaurian

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• useful
• practical
• handy
• functional
• practicable
• serviceable

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unwieldy

But the unwieldy timeline of the training facility’s completion has begun to erode trust from the latest iteration of the Sky roster. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026

Montmartre, actually, is a good example of what happens when the number of tourists becomes too unwieldy to manage—shops and services here have pivoted away from supporting locals, becoming souvenir stores and tourist-only businesses. — Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

In 2018, New York City officials rolled out a voucher program with an unwieldy name, CityFHEPS, and the laudable goal of decreasing homelessness by subsidizing housing. — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

So imagine my delight at finding a way to ease these challenges while also improving my notoriously bad posture — something that didn’t involve complicated tech (like wires and sensors) or unwieldy physical objects. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2026

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