awkward

American  

[awk-werd] / ˈɔk wərd /

adjective

1. lacking skill or dexterity.

   Synonyms:

   inexpert, unhandy, unskillful, inept, clumsy

   Antonyms:

   handy, dexterous, skillful, adroit, deft

2. lacking grace or ease in movement.

   an awkward gesture;

   an awkward dancer.

   Synonyms:

   clumsy, maladroit, gawky, ungainly, graceless, uncoordinated

   Antonyms:

   graceful

3. lacking social graces or manners.

   a simple, awkward frontiersman.

   Synonyms:

   unrefined, unpolished, gauche, ill-bred, unmannerly, ill-mannered, oafish

   Antonyms:

   refined, polished, smooth, well-bred, well-mannered, polite, gracious

4. not well planned or designed for easy or effective use.

   an awkward instrument;

   an awkward method.

   Synonyms:

   troublesome, difficult, inconvenient, unmanageable, cumbersome, unwieldy

5. requiring caution; somewhat hazardous.

   an awkward turn in the road.

   Synonyms:

   unsafe, risky, dangerous, treacherous, precarious, perilous, chancy

6. hard to deal with; difficult; requiring skill, tact, or the like.

   an awkward situation;

   an awkward customer.

7. embarrassing or inconvenient; caused by lack of social grace.

   an awkward moment.

   Synonyms:

   touchy, ticklish, uncomfortable, difficult, trying, unpleasant

8. Obsolete. untoward; perverse.

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awkward British  

/ ˈɔːkwəd /

adjective

1. lacking dexterity, proficiency, or skill; clumsy; inept

   the new recruits were awkward in their exercises

2. ungainly or inelegant in movements or posture

   despite a great deal of practice she remained an awkward dancer

3. unwieldy; difficult to use

   an awkward implement

4. embarrassing

   an awkward moment

5. embarrassed

   he felt awkward about leaving

6. difficult to deal with; requiring tact

   an awkward situation

   an awkward customer

7. deliberately uncooperative or unhelpful

   he could help but he is being awkward

8. dangerous or difficult

   an awkward ascent of the ridge

9. obsolete perverse

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Other Word Forms

• awkwardly adverb
• awkwardness noun
• unawkward adjective
• unawkwardly adverb
• unawkwardness noun

Etymology

Origin of awkward

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, equivalent to awk(e), auk(e) “backhanded,” (unattested) Old English afoc (from Old Norse ǫfugr “turned the wrong way, backwards”; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German abuh “wrong, bad,” Old English afu(h)lic “perverse”) + -ward suffix denoting direction; off, -ward

Example Sentences

But if Jackson seemed like an awkward fit for a mostly rural, lily-white state, he nonetheless saw possibilities there.

From Salon

Wilkinson, who played professionally abroad, said being “the most awkward gangly freshman ever” gave him grit and ambition.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he admitted the seemingly ultra-confident player - who had immaculately-gelled hair, shaved his legs and wore fake tan - was a world away from the socially awkward person off the field.

From BBC

She broke out in the endearingly awkward title role of the Disney Channel’s “Lizzie McGuire” then went on to star in family-friendly movies like “Agent Cody Banks” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.”

From Los Angeles Times

The first is the remarkable development of the anxious, impecunious and socially awkward Tennyson into the most celebrated poet of late 19th-century England.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• annoying
• cumbersome
• dangerous
• inconvenient
• perilous
• risky
• troublesome
• uncomfortable
• unwieldy