maladroit

[ mal-uh-droit ]

adjective

1. lacking in adroitness; unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless:

   to handle a diplomatic crisis in a very maladroit way.

   Synonyms: gauche, inept, clumsy

maladroit

/ ˌmæləˈdrɔɪt /

adjective

1. showing or characterized by clumsiness; not dexterous
2. tactless and insensitive in behaviour or speech

Derived Forms

• ˌmalaˈdroitness, noun
• ˌmalaˈdroitly, adverb

Other Words From

• mala·droitly adverb
• mala·droitness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maladroit¹

First recorded in 1665–75; from French, Middle French: literally “clumsy”; mal-, adroit

Word History and Origins

Origin of maladroit¹

C17: from French, from mal badly + adroit

Example Sentences

Maladroit performances at similar hearings last year led to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

From New York Times

On the stump, DeSantis proved singularly maladroit.

From Los Angeles Times

Pundits, politicians and alumni are currently locked in a debate over whether Claudine Gay’s decision to step down after only a months-long tenure as president of Harvard was due to accusations that she was a serial plagiarist or her maladroit performance last month at a congressional hearing about a surge of antisemitism on American college campuses.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump subsequently browbeat his maladroit FDA chairman, Stephen Hahn, into issuing an emergency authorization for the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 patients.

From Los Angeles Times

The original's famously maladroit "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," with its adversaries whose faces were painted white and black on opposite sides, is kindly remembered as well-intentioned and poorly executed.

From Salon