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

• clumsiness noun
• clumsily adverb

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

"I am just a clumsy dude," he explained.

From BBC

And while his lyrics can be clumsy, their unguarded simplicity bypasses criticism.

From BBC

The first couple episodes are clever, funny and charmingly clumsy — if not too close to the bone for folks like us.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s also clumsy, farcical and potentially self-destructive; I would argue that those qualities complement the menace, rather than undercutting or contradicting it.

From Salon

Many Koreans are wary of clumsy depictions of their country on screen, especially given how popular the culture is right now.

From BBC

Related Words

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