gawky

[ gaw-kee ]

adjective

, gawk·i·er, gawk·i·est.

1. awkward; ungainly; clumsy.

gawky

/ ˈɡɔːkɪ /

adjective

1. clumsy or ungainly; awkward
2. dialect.
   left-handed

Derived Forms

• ˈgawkiness, noun
• ˈgawkily, adverb

Other Words From

• gawki·ly gawkish·ly adverb
• gawki·ness gawkish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gawky¹

First recorded in 1715–25; gawk + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Moreover, the script transitions him, through Finan’s effective performance, from a gawky, bespectacled nerd putting on airs, into an unctuous political predator.

From Salon

It’s hard to marry the brutal nature of the weapons and the shocking injuries they can inflict with the gawky young men shifting nervously on the pavement.

From BBC

‘THE OUTLAWS’ Prime Video Gangly, gawky Stephen Merchant puts his physicality and hangdog persona to fine use in this British crime comedy.

From Los Angeles Times

When he arrived on the scene with the Mariners as a rookie three years later, it was his teammates who were curious — curious about what the heck this gawky 6-foot-6 rookie was doing.

From Seattle Times

The winds were almost wild in a grinding, grim account of the introduction to “Siegfried” on Saturday, and gawkily reedy — at once sinister and whimsical — as Hagen and Gutrune plotted in “Götterdämmerung” on Monday.

From New York Times