as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design a long-handled wrench that is too cumbersome for tight spots, such as under the sink

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the adjective cumbersome differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cumbersome are cumbrous, heavy, ponderous, and weighty. While all these words mean "having great weight," cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture
early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Where would heavy be a reasonable alternative to cumbersome?

While in some cases nearly identical to cumbersome, heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

When can ponderous be used instead of cumbersome?

The words ponderous and cumbersome can be used in similar contexts, but ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

When might weighty be a better fit than cumbersome?

In some situations, the words weighty and cumbersome are roughly equivalent. However, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

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 cumbersome That would require presidential approval, and the process would likely be slow and cumbersome. Erika Allen Wolters, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2025 The clickhouse crate, for example, lacks the full feature set available in Python, making direct integration with analytical workloads more cumbersome. Amandeep Midha, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 As legal professionals gain increasing authority over AI deployment decisions, new internal stakeholders are introduced, making the organizational process of adopting AI systems more cumbersome. Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Like so many others, they are left with an impossible choice: involve the criminal justice system — which may be slow, cumbersome and invasive — or do nothing and hope the situation doesn’t escalate. Eric Gonzalez, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cumbersome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumbersome
Adjective
  • Raw also advertised Bayley challenging Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio and the world’s most clumsy GM Adam Pearce making his next fumble of the worst storyline going this WrestleMania season between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • This is why the Trump administration’s DOGE exercise — while clumsy at times — is such an important endeavor despite Democratic efforts to discredit it.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • For introverts who might naturally lean toward a prevention focus—fearing rejection or awkward interactions—consciously developing a promotion focus can transform their job search approach.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • The new console boasts an integrated chat feature, eliminating the clunky external phone connections of its predecessor.
    Eammonn Dignam, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The Sabres led 1-0 after a clunky first period thanks to a give-and-go power play goal with 19 seconds left before intermission.
    Adam Beasley, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cumbersome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumbersome. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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