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awkward

[awk-werd]
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adjective
  1. lacking skill or dexterity.
  2. lacking grace or ease in movement: an awkward gesture; an awkward dancer.
  3. lacking social graces or manners: a simple, awkward frontiersman.
  4. not well planned or designed for easy or effective use: an awkward instrument; an awkward method.
  5. requiring caution; somewhat hazardous: an awkward turn in the road.
  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.
  8. Obsolete. untoward; perverse.
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Origin of awkward

1300–50; Middle English, equivalent to awk(e), auk(e) ‘backhanded’, Old English *afoc (< Old Norse ǫfugr ‘turned the wrong way’; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German abuh, Old English afu(h)lic ‘wrong’, off) + -ward -ward
Related formsawk·ward·ly, adverbawk·ward·ness, nounun·awk·ward, adjectiveun·awk·ward·ly, adverbun·awk·ward·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

ineptitudeignoranceperildiscomfortcoarsenessgreennessrudenessinabilityincompetenceineptnessgawkinesstactlessnesscrudenessmaladroitnessboorishnessinconvenienceriskdangerbulkinessuncomfortableness

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British Dictionary definitions for awkwardness

awkward

adjective
  1. lacking dexterity, proficiency, or skill; clumsy; ineptthe new recruits were awkward in their exercises
  2. ungainly or inelegant in movements or posturedespite a great deal of practice she remained an awkward dancer
  3. unwieldy; difficult to usean awkward implement
  4. embarrassingan awkward moment
  5. embarrassedhe felt awkward about leaving
  6. difficult to deal with; requiring tactan awkward situation; an awkward customer
  7. deliberately uncooperative or unhelpfulhe could help but he is being awkward
  8. dangerous or difficultan awkward ascent of the ridge
  9. obsolete perverse
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Derived Formsawkwardly, adverbawkwardness, noun

Word Origin

C14 awk, from Old Norse öfugr turned the wrong way round + -ward
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for awkwardness

n.

1704, "lack of grace," from awkward + -ness. Meaning "physical clumsiness" is attested from c.1770; that of "social embarrassment" is from 1788.

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awkward

adj.

mid-14c., "in the wrong direction," from awk "back-handed" + adverbial suffix -weard (see -ward). Meaning "clumsy" first recorded 1520s. Related: Awkwardly. Other formations from awk, none of them surviving, were awky, awkly, awkness.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper