unwieldy

American  

[uhn-weel-dee] / ʌnˈwil di /

Or unwieldly

adjective

unwieldier, unwieldiest

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

   Synonyms:

   clumsy, unmanageable, bulky

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unwieldy British  

/ ʌnˈwiːldɪ /

adjective

1. too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled

2. ungainly; clumsy

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Other Word Forms

• unwieldily adverb
• unwieldiness noun

Etymology

Origin of unwieldy

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

Example Sentences

Two problems: At the time, renewable energy cost too much to make it affordable, and adding water usually turns quicklime into an unwieldy goop.

From The Wall Street Journal

Add in that at Audi there was another senior figure, in chief executive officer Adam Baker, and many felt the leadership of Audi looked unwieldy.

From BBC

It felt as heavy and unwieldy as a haunch of deer meat.

From Literature

It is thus fitting that his Metropolitan Opera debut production, which opened on Monday, was Wagner’s long and unwieldy “Tristan und Isolde,” which offers plenty of space for interpretation.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s unwieldy and imperfect but also at times quite moving thanks to the superlative work of its stars.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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