ungainly

[ uhn-geyn-lee ]

adjective

, un·gain·li·er, un·gain·li·est.

1. not graceful; awkward; unwieldy; clumsy:

   an ungainly child; an ungainly prose style.

adverb

1. in an awkward manner.

ungainly

/ ʌnˈɡeɪnlɪ /

adjective

1. lacking grace when moving
2. difficult to move or use; unwieldy
3. rare.
   crude or coarse

adverb

1. rare.
   clumsily

Derived Forms

• unˈgainliness, noun

Other Words From

• un·gainli·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ungainly¹

1150–1200; (adv.) Middle English ungeinliche, equivalent to un- un- ¹ + later Middle English geyn straight, well-disposed, handy (< Old Norse gegn straight, direct; compare Old Norse ūgegn unreasonable) + -liche -ly; (adj.) un- ¹ + obsolete gainly proper, becoming, gracious, Middle English gaynlych ( geyn as above + -lych -ly ); gainly, again

Word History and Origins

Origin of ungainly¹

C17: from un- ¹+ obsolete or dialect gainly graceful

Example Sentences

I walked down the school hallways in my new body amid my child-shaped classmates and felt ungainly and over-sexual, grotesque, as if I’d been turned inside out.

From Los Angeles Times

There was lots of predictable French goofiness, including the Olympic debut of breaking — previously known as breakdancing — and a viral moment from the ungainly Australian B-girl named ”Raygun.”

From Los Angeles Times

Those action-packed story arcs are awkwardly condensed, and the pacing is almost always ungainly.

From New York Times

It had a small cabin and disproportionate wingspan of nearly 111 feet that enabled it to carry more than four times its weight in fuel — 1,500 gallons tipping the scales at nearly 9,000 pounds — making it uncomfortable to sleep in and ungainly to fly.

From Los Angeles Times

Long-eared Jar Jar is a bipedal amphibianlike creature with an ungainly walk and a winning attitude.

From New York Times

Related Words

• awkward
• bulky
• clumsy
• unwieldy