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Showing results for clunky. Search instead for plunky.
Synonyms

clunky

American  
[kluhng-kee] / ˈklʌŋ ki /

adjective

Informal.
clunkier, clunkiest

  1. awkwardly heavy or clumsy.

    clunky metal jewelry; clunky shoes.
clunky British  
/ ˈklʌŋkɪ /

adjective

  1. making a clunking noise

  2. informal ponderously ungraceful or unsophisticated

    clunky boots

  3. awkward or unsophisticated

    then you guffaw at clunky dialogue
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clunky

First recorded in 1965–70; clunk + -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.

Meanwhile, the Web3-crypto hype cycle that pushed clunky, glitchy headsets into every boardroom in America also brought NFTs to the fore—which has also been a complete bust.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

Personal computers, which economists credit for a productivity boom starting in the mid-1990s, were initially clunky and took years to become more user-friendly, said Martin Neil Baily, an economist at the Brookings Institution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

“Our early trials of ChatGPT’s update are still rather clunky and not ideal. Consumers aren’t yet seeing a materially different path to purchase.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

"MP3 players were clunky, storage was limited, and managing your music library felt like a chore," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

I feel clunky and clumsy and slow, and I’m glad for the handrail.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.