graceless

American  

[greys-lis] / ˈgreɪs lɪs /

adjective

1. lacking grace, pleasing elegance, or charm.

2. without any sense of right or propriety.

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graceless British  

/ ˈɡreɪslɪs /

adjective

1. lacking any sense of right and wrong; depraved

2. lacking grace or excellence

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Other Word Forms

• gracelessness
  noun
• gracelessly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of graceless

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at grace, -less

Explanation

Someone who's graceless is awkward or uncoordinated. Graceless means without grace, by being physically clumsy or by having no manners. A graceless dancer steps on toes, and a graceless winner rubs it in. People can be graceless in their physical movements or actions, like a graceless ballet dancer who thumps heavily across the stage. Or they can be graceless in their words or behavior, like a graceless stand-up comic who isn't funny, just rude and boorish. Graceless originally meant "not in a state of grace," with grace defined as "God's love." A more modern meaning of grace is "beauty of form or movement."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

graceless

I had pulled over on the road in Pebble Beach to check an address when my left foot slid out from under me and the bike fell heavily under my graceless straddle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

But a graceless end should not obscure DiFi’s shining accomplishments and her place in American history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023

He describes his co-star in The Piano, the American actor Harvey Keitel, as "truculent and difficult and a bit graceless".

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2023

Gender can be the graceless act of discovery and affirmation, the ugly vitality of blood, the patient organizing and reshaping of something that’s never before been listened to correctly.

From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2022

He has seen these graceless birds on windowsills and sidewalks, but never in trees.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri