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Synonyms

klutzy

American  
[kluht-see] / ˈklʌt si /

adjective

Slang.
klutzier, klutziest
  1. clumsy; awkward.

    If you weren't so klutzy you wouldn't have dropped it.

  2. unwieldy; bulky or awkward.

    a klutzy pair of boots.

  3. inept or thoughtless; boneheaded.

    a klutzy remark.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of klutzy

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; klutz + -y 1

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.

See Examples For:

Today’s humanoid robots may be klutzy and prohibitively expensive, but another quarter of a century of research will transform them into essential home assistants, says Brendan Englot, director of the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 6, 2026

But the beat Hudson gets exactly right comes in a scene where you’re certain this klutzy melodrama is going to force her to sob.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 23, 2025

She’s the everywoman, a picture of klutzy mishaps of the heart that looks more like a mirror than a photograph.

From Salon Feb. 13, 2025

“On the plus side, my fall hit all the newspapers so I made your final show even more memorable. Come for the music, stay for the klutzy fall.”

From Washington Times Dec. 18, 2023

It wasn’t her fault that all this happened—though that klutzy moment seemed to set this whole thing in motion.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

The gags feel klutzier when they aim for 21st century humor — say, Hewitt sipping tea from a mug that reads “tears of the patriarchy.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 18, 2025

The first-act klutziness is even klutzier, and he’s made the unfulfilling choice to shift our attention from the starlet to her egotistic male co-star, sacrificing her emotional arc for some low-hanging jokes about pretentious twits.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2023

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