gawky

[ gaw-kee ]

adjective

, gawk·i·er, gawk·i·est.

1. awkward; ungainly; clumsy.

gawky

/ ˈɡɔːkɪ /

adjective

1. clumsy or ungainly; awkward
2. dialect.
   left-handed

Derived Forms

• ˈgawkiness, noun
• ˈgawkily, adverb

Other Words From

• gawki·ly gawkish·ly adverb
• gawki·ness gawkish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gawky¹

First recorded in 1715–25; gawk + -y ¹

Example Sentences

At the time, Watson was an arrogant, gawky 22-year-old, working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen.

From Nautilus

The young lady, a gawky girl of 13, was a distant cousin whose father had recently become King Emperor.

From Time

The Movement: Julia had this gawky awkwardness, which Streep picks up.

From The Daily Beast

He was reminded of the flight of time only by the growth of his son—a gawky, long-limbed boy.

From Project Gutenberg

Mediocrity had only seen the gawky stripling, with his moonstruck air, and pestilent habit of trying some new crotchet.

From Project Gutenberg

It sets up a gawky fellow to find a girl who ain't ashamed to be seen walking with him Sundays.

From Project Gutenberg

Three big, gawky helmet-headed beetles next followed, bearing rice-sprouts, with full heads of rice.

From Project Gutenberg

But who would ever have imagined that that gawky shock-headed American boy had really got so much romance in him!

From Project Gutenberg