clumsiness
Americannoun
-
awkwardness or lack of skill or grace in movement or action.
In spite of their large size and reputed clumsiness, bears are fleet-footed.
-
the fact or quality of being awkwardly done or made, or of being poorly contrived, difficult to use, etc..
The story wasn't bad, but had moments of clumsiness.
Despite the winning concept of a phone combined with a gaming console, this version was doomed by the clumsiness of its design.
Etymology
Origin of clumsiness
First recorded in 1650–60; clumsy ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
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.
She spilled Coke on her sari and figured her clumsiness would doom the engagement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025
Some of this clumsiness is simply the endearing choreography of learning something new.
From Salon • Dec. 20, 2025
“I’m sure we all have fractured toes from stuff like this...Just clumsiness I guess.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025
"I regret my clumsiness and lack of care in choosing my words and can see the upset and offence they caused," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2024
Now he saw that it was not random thorny branches and his own clumsiness in walking into them, but rather an assault from Forest itself.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
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.
