clumsy

[ kluhm-zee ]

adjective

, clum·si·er, clum·si·est.

1. awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace:

   He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.

   Synonyms: lubberly, lumbering, ungainly, ungraceful

2. awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived:

   He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology.

   Synonyms: inept, heavy-handed, bumbling, inexpert, maladroit, unskillful, unhandy

   Antonyms: skillful, adroit

clumsy

/ ˈklʌmzɪ /

adjective

1. lacking in skill or physical coordination
2. awkwardly constructed or contrived

Derived Forms

• ˈclumsiness, noun
• ˈclumsily, adverb

Other Words From

• clum·si·ly adverb
• clum·si·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy¹

1590–1600; clums benumbed with cold (now obsolete) + -y ¹; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold, dialectal Swedish klumsig benumbed, awkward, klums numbskull, Old Norse klumsa lockjaw. See clam ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy¹

C16 (in obsolete sense: benumbed with cold; hence, awkward): perhaps from C13 dialect clumse to benumb, probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect klumsig numb

Example Sentences

The clumsy, shy 10-year-old is one of the most endearing characters in Springfield, thanks in part to his halting, sheepish voice and his stubborn resilience.

From New York Times

That was the same tactic, with clumsy implementation, that the super PAC employed earlier in the election cycle.

From Salon

Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses suggested that the new bill was a "rushed job, clumsy, chaotic and poorly planned".

From BBC

Vance responded with his clumsiest evasion of the night, a weird pivot to federal censorship, an issue that has urgency only among the most online right-wingers.

From Salon

“It was a clumsy attempt that seemed unpremeditated and it didn’t make sense.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bulky
• heavy-handed
• inept
• ponderous
• ungainly
• unwieldy