unhandy

[uhn-han-dee]

adjective

unhandier, unhandiest 

1. not skillful in manual work.

   He's unhandy when it comes to fixing things around the house.

   Synonyms: bumbling, inept, awkward, clumsy

2. inconveniently placed or arranged.

3. difficult to handle or use, as tools or objects.

unhandy

/ ʌnˈhændɪ /

adjective

1. not skilful with one's hands; clumsy; awkward

2. inconvenient

Other Word Forms

• unhandily adverb
• unhandiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unhandy¹

First recorded in 1655–65; un- ¹ + handy

Example Sentences

These days, even the most unhandy of us have found ourselves DIYing our way out of household troubles.

From Washington Post

Unhandy New Yorkers move into a Pennsylvania fixer-upper bought by the wife for its history.

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps there is something about Hardy that brings out an especially unhandy company.

From Washington Post

Malcolm could see that the dinghy was an unhandy vessel, by no means as swift and easy through the water as La Belle Sauvage.

From Literature

“A Place of My Own,” his second, chronicled the “radically unhandy” Pollan’s construction of his writing studio.

From New York Times

Related Words

• amateurish 
• helpless 
• inadequate 
• incapable 
• ineffectual 
• inefficient 
• inept 
• inexperienced 
• unqualified 
• unskilled 
• useless