clumsy

[kluhm-zee]

adjective

clumsier, clumsiest 

1. awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace.

   He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.

   Synonyms: lubberly, lumbering, ungainly, ungraceful

2. awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived.

   He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology.

   Synonyms: inept, heavy-handed, bumbling, inexpert, maladroit, unskillful, unhandy
   Antonyms: skillful, adroit

clumsy

/ ˈklʌmzɪ /

adjective

1. lacking in skill or physical coordination

2. awkwardly constructed or contrived

Other Word Forms

• clumsily adverb
• clumsiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy¹

1590–1600; clums benumbed with cold (now obsolete) + -y ¹; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold, dialectal Swedish klumsig benumbed, awkward, klums numbskull, Old Norse klumsa lockjaw. See clam ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy¹

C16 (in obsolete sense: benumbed with cold; hence, awkward): perhaps from C13 dialect clumse to benumb, probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect klumsig numb

Example Sentences

“Careful, you clumsy child, you will set yourself on fire.”

Read more on Literature

Even the clumsy, unattractive, and bad-tasting dodos have occupied people’s thoughts far more in extinction than they ever did when they were alive.

Read more on Literature

“Awful, clumsy, incompetent workmen! I shall have them all fired,” she fumed.

Read more on Literature

"In films and comedy programmes it's funny to depict people who smoke weed as lazy and clumsy," said Jon.

Read more on BBC

The handling of this plot device, with the canny veteran Reid wandering in and out of the drama like an informational time bomb, is a little clumsy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bulky 
• heavy-handed 
• inept 
• ponderous 
• ungainly 
• unwieldy