ungainly
[ uhn-geyn-lee ]
/ ʌnˈgeɪn li /
adjective, un·gain·li·er, un·gain·li·est.
not graceful; awkward; unwieldy; clumsy: an ungainly child; an ungainly prose style.
adverb
in an awkward manner.
Nearby words
unfunny, unfurl, unfurnished, unfussy, ung., ungainly, ungaretti, ungava, ungava bay, ungava peninsula, ungenerous
Origin of ungainly
1150–1200; (adv.) Middle English ungeinliche, equivalent to un- un-1 + later Middle English geyn straight, well-disposed, handy (< Old Norse gegn straight, direct; compare Old Norse ūgegn unreasonable) + -liche -ly; (adj.) un-1 + obsolete gainly proper, becoming, gracious, Middle English gaynlych (geyn as above + -lych -ly); cf. gainly, again
Related formsun·gain·li·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ungainly
British Dictionary definitions for ungainly
ungainly
/ (ʌnˈɡeɪnlɪ) /
adjective -lier or -liest
lacking grace when moving
difficult to move or use; unwieldy
rare crude or coarse
adverb
rare clumsily
Derived Formsungainliness, noun
Word Origin for ungainly
C17: from un- 1 + obsolete or dialect gainly graceful
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for ungainly
ungainly
1610s, originally "unfit, improper," from Middle English ungeinliche, from ungein (c.1400) "inconvenient" (from un- (1) "not" + Old Norse gegn "convenient") + -like.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper