clunky

[ kluhng-kee ]

adjective

, Informal.

, clunk·i·er, clunk·i·est.

1. awkwardly heavy or clumsy:

   clunky metal jewelry; clunky shoes.

clunky

/ ˈklʌŋkɪ /

adjective

1. making a clunking noise
2. informal.
   ponderously ungraceful or unsophisticated

   clunky boots

3. awkward or unsophisticated

   then you guffaw at clunky dialogue

Word History and Origins

Origin of clunky¹

First recorded in 1965–70; clunk + -y ¹

Example Sentences

"It was a really disappointing performance tonight and it just didn't work. It was clunky."

From BBC

“You have to go with your instinct, though we haven’t always been right and we’ve played some songs in the past that were clunky and misguided,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

This framing device, which has the clunky air of a middlebrow play, provides a convenient if stagy way of breaking down his biography into manageable parts.

From Los Angeles Times

Mirch and I agreed the system is unnecessarily clunky and confusing, or at least it was on the day we tried to use it.

From Los Angeles Times

I couldn’t speak well in them and they felt too clunky in my mouth and aesthetically didn’t look right.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bulky
• burdensome
• embarrassing
• heavy
• inconvenient
• ponderous
• tiresome
• unwieldy