unwieldy

or un·wield·ly

[ uhn-weel-dee ]

adjective

, un·wield·i·er, un·wield·i·est.

1. not wieldy; wielded with difficulty; not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight; awkward; ungainly.

   Synonyms: unmanageable, clumsy, bulky

unwieldy

/ ʌnˈwiːldɪ /

adjective

1. too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled
2. ungainly; clumsy

Derived Forms

• unˈwieldily, adverb
• unˈwieldiness, noun

Other Words From

• un·wieldi·ly adverb
• un·wieldi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unwieldy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, unwieldy is from the Middle English word unweldy. See un- ¹, wieldy

Example Sentences

While it may be true that we spend a fair share of our time on freeways, there are thriving pedestrian-friendly pockets tucked all around our unwieldy city.

From Los Angeles Times

The unwieldy best-of-three format, on the other hand, fits like a square peg in a round hole.

From Los Angeles Times

Besides working with government inspectors to investigate contamination, food manufacturers also have to help track down products affected by their recalls, an unwieldy task in situations where hundreds of different items with various sell-by and best-by dates were sent to businesses around the country.

From Los Angeles Times

But Hollywood is a place where hope frequently comes to die, and “They Went Another Way” is a comic primer on how good ideas are slowly strangled by an unwieldy and inefficient streamocracy whose lingua franca is the artfully evasive lie.

From Los Angeles Times

“They are a bit unwieldy and cumbersome,” says Ms Walnut.

From BBC

Related Words

• burdensome
• clumsy
• cumbersome
• inconvenient
• massive
• onerous
• ponderous
• ungainly
• unmanageable