unwieldy

or un·wield·ly

[ uhn-weel-dee ]

/ ʌnˈwil di /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unwieldy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, un·wield·i·er, un·wield·i·est.

not wieldy; wielded with difficulty; not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight; awkward; ungainly.

Nearby words

Origin of unwieldy

First recorded in 1350–1400, unwieldy is from the Middle English word unweldy. See un-¹, wieldy

SYNONYMS FOR unwieldy

bulky, unmanageable, clumsy.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unwieldy ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·wield·i·ly, adverbun·wield·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unwieldy

But any biographer of the novel faces a problem more fundamental than compressing between two covers a vast and unwieldy subject.
The Birth of the Novel|Nick Romeo|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lachs writes with clarity and concision—admirable concision, considering how unwieldy university press offerings tend to be.
America’s Meddlers Are Our Worst Enemies|Stefan Beck|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unwieldy trash piles or not, the coming treasure hunts are sure to be interesting ones.
As Japan’s Tsunami Debris Arrives, Can U.S. West Coast Handle It?|Winston Ross|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But if we only rewarded consistency, the list would be unwieldy, fixed, and dull.
America’s Top 50 Rabbis for 2012|Abigail Pogrebin|April 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST

So how did this unwieldy collection wind up looking like, well, disorganized Democrats?
For Presidential Hopefuls, a Game of Posturing and Positioning|Howard Kurtz|February 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He produced one of these—I had never seen such an unwieldy weapon.
Trooper 3809|Lionel Decle
He was beginning to look grey and old, and was growing daily more corpulent and unwieldy.
Henry VIII.|A. F. Pollard
The ‘states’ are now anchored to the past, and the ‘Commonwealth’ must be unwieldy.
Mr. Oseba's Last Discovery|George W. Bell
The Castilians would doubtless have resented the dismemberment of the unwieldy body of which they formed the head.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The craft in question were some of those that had been captured--unwieldy craft, that took fish and salt up the river.
On the Irrawaddy|G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for unwieldy

unwieldy

unwieldly

/ (ʌnˈwiːldɪ) /

adjective

too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled

ungainly; clumsy

Derived Formsunwieldily or unwieldlily, adverbunwieldiness or unwieldliness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for unwieldy

unwieldy

adj.

late 14c., "lacking strength," from un- (1) "not" + Old English wielde "active, vigorous," from Proto-Germanic *walth- "have power" (see wield). Meaning "moving ungracefully" is recorded from 1520s; in reference to weapons, "difficult to handle, awkward by virtue of size or shape" it is attested from 1540s.

unwieldy

or un·wield·ly

adjective, un·wield·i·er, un·wield·i·est.

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Nearby words

Origin of unwieldy

Examples from the Web for unwieldy

unwieldy

unwieldly

adjective

unwieldy