unwieldy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled
-
ungainly; clumsy
Other Word Forms
- unwieldily adverb
- unwieldiness noun
Etymology
Origin of unwieldy
First recorded in 1350–1400, unwieldy is from the Middle English word unweldy. See un- 1, wieldy
Explanation
If you see an unwieldy person coming down the aisle of the bus with an unwieldy box, you may want to step aside because that's a double dose of clumsy. It's an awkward person carrying a box that is difficult to manage. Something that is wieldy is easy to control or handle, so something unwieldy is not. However, the un- form of the word is much more common. The base word wieldy has its roots in Old English, meaning "to handle or control" — used usually in reference to a weapon. You would not want an unwieldy person attempting to wield an unwieldy sword!
Vocabulary lists containing unwieldy
The Giver
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Power Prefix: un-
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This Week in Words: September 29 - October 5, 2018
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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.
To find their way into Cynthia’s unwieldy case at the start of the fall 2025 semester, Concannon and her teammates tackled the project much like a task force would, dividing it into sections.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
After a certain point, however, teams become unwieldy, and it becomes harder to organize the team and manage communication.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Their stocks traded at lower valuations than their pure-play peers because investors felt the conglomerates were more unwieldy.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
With a vast cast of characters, the novel is at times unwieldy.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025
As unwieldy as Mars’s spear was, the piece of tinder was worse.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
