clumsiness

[ kluhm-zee-nis ]

noun

1. awkwardness or lack of skill or grace in movement or action:

   In spite of their large size and reputed clumsiness, bears are fleet-footed.

2. the fact or quality of being awkwardly done or made, or of being poorly contrived, difficult to use, etc.:

   The story wasn't bad, but had moments of clumsiness.

   Despite the winning concept of a phone combined with a gaming console, this version was doomed by the clumsiness of its design.

Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsiness¹

First recorded in 1650–60; clumsy ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

The game, unsurprisingly, was a cavalcade of clumsiness.

From Los Angeles Times

"I regret my clumsiness and lack of care in choosing my words and can see the upset and offence they caused," he said.

From BBC

A child's personality and behavior may change, and clumsiness or stumbling develops between the ages of five and ten.

From Science Daily

Marc said: "They would say, 'How's the mum now?'. It's surrogate not mum. I think it's more clumsiness than anything else or lack of knowledge."

From BBC

There may have been no malice in his clash, but clumsiness carries a high price in modern rugby and avoiding paying is a skill in itself.

From BBC