klutz
Americannoun
-
klutzes
plural
-
a clumsy, awkward person.
-
a stupid or foolish person; blockhead.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of klutz
1965–70, < Yiddish klots literally, wooden beam < Middle High German kloc ( German Klotz )
Explanation
If you're awkward and clumsy, you can call yourself a klutz. If a klutz is carrying a tray of full glasses across a dining room, you can be sure they'll end up on the floor. This informal word is perfect for talking about a goofy oaf who trips over his own feet and seems to drop anything he's holding. You might say, "Don't let my brother move your TV — he's such a klutz!" Klutz is the Americanized version of the Yiddish klots, which means "block or lump," and also "clumsy person or blockhead." A related word in German is klotz, "boor, clod, or wooden block."
Vocabulary lists containing klutz
Awkward Moments
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
More English Words Derived from Yiddish
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Whoops! Synonyms for "Clumsy"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When people notice his plentiful bruises, Almásy makes up excuses, leading them to think he’s a klutz.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yiddish, the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews across Europe before the Holocaust, is now perhaps best known to many English speakers through words such as "schlep", "klutz" and "chutzpah".
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025
And while I’ve long lusted over hand-built fountains and elaborate ponds, I’m a klutz when it comes to building things from scratch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2024
Haider is a klutz — “by the grace of Allah, you’re really terrible,” a director groans — and the theater’s finances make zero sense.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2023
Woe to the klutz who dropped a box of cards on the floor.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
The company of performers assembled to perform this hoary property consists of has-beens, wannabes, klutzes and martyred veterans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025
But none of these addresses the underlying problem; namely, that cell-phone owners are human beings, and are therefore klutzes.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 5, 2019
If NBA referees are true to their word, this fumbling will allow even the most brick-handed klutzes to slash through defenses like their favorite pros.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019
Luckily, the real bomb squads have so far mostly had to deal with klutzes, not the kind of brilliantly skilled practitioner Perry introduces to us in his work of fiction.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2017
Eros makes klutzes of us all, it seems, and no one is immune.
From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
