1
as in awkward
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
diamond cutting is no job for a clumsy person
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2
as in uncoordinated
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
a clumsy bow clumsy on the dance floor
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3
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
felt clumsy in the unfamiliar uniform
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4
as in inexperienced
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
a clumsy joke
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5
as in cumbersome
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
a clumsy contraption, but it got the job done
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6
as in rude
hastily or roughly constructed
a clumsy mock-up of the real thing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clumsy
Unlike clumsier species that struggle with obstacles, the black mamba leverages every surface with surgical precision, effectively turning the landscape into a series of launchpads.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
There’s also a touching subplot for the clumsy, muted Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), who’s regularly the butt of the other dwarfs’ jokes.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
In modern buildings, bricks are no longer expected to carry any structural load, so they’re often cranked out in thin wafers, applied to a backing, and hung in large sheets that require clumsy joints.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Mar. 2025
Kisses her mouth, but the gesture is awkward, clumsy; their teeth strike together, and Brianna winces.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
There’s also a touching subplot for the clumsy, muted Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), who’s regularly the butt of the other dwarfs’ jokes.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
In modern buildings, bricks are no longer expected to carry any structural load, so they’re often cranked out in thin wafers, applied to a backing, and hung in large sheets that require clumsy joints.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Mar. 2025
Kisses her mouth, but the gesture is awkward, clumsy; their teeth strike together, and Brianna winces.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clumsy
Adjective
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Its Darcy, Matthew MacFadyen, was in his late 20s and still had an awkward, youthful reserve that turned out to be perfect for this version’s take on the handsome, distant gentleman who falls for Elizabeth.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Though, fair warning: a colleague told me using it with their manager made for a very awkward 48 hours.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Yet compared with the first Trump administration, when the threat to American democracy was not as stark, the resistance today is limited and uncoordinated.—
Laura Gamboa,
Foreign Affairs,
31 Mar. 2025
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These acts of vandalism appear to be random and uncoordinated, and so far nobody has been injured.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not only is this uncomfortable, but scratching (which is hard to resist) can increase the risk of hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.—
Sierra Leone Starks,
Allure,
18 Apr. 2025
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Because that bigger picture is a murky, uncomfortable state.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of his pontificate, Francis contended with conservatives and with a cumbersome bureaucracy practiced in the art of resisting change.—
Randall Balmer,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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But deportation — a cumbersome process generally involving an arrest, detention, a removal order from a judge and finally a flight out of the U.S. — can take months or years.—
Alyson Hurt,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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My question: Was there any way to have prevented this rude woman from stealing away all of my guests? GENTLE READER: Counter-questions: Did the boss and his wife drop the guests off before the emergency furniture move?—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
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Since then, the stepmother has proved to be mean and rude on multiple occasions, the bride wrote.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Examples imported from 1975 through 1985 had rather ungainly impact bumpers, so early, chrome-bumper cars are aesthetically more desirable.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, some attendees at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, started to feel uneasy.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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But Sherrill remains uneasy about what could happen next.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Yet any swerve away from Trump’s blessed route risks ending with House Republicans pursuing a vote-of-no-confidence against Johnson, who has so far been impressively steady at the helm of a caucus that is unwieldy at best.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
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In the end, the finale may not have entirely redeemed some pacing issues and unwieldy sprawl, but ended strongly enough to make both seem minor in retrospect.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clumsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clumsy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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