unwieldy
Americanadjective
adjective
-
too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled
-
ungainly; clumsy
Other Word Forms
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.
Unwieldy as its subject, the movie is a kaleidoscope of the rage and disillusionment that energized young activists in the Occupy Los Angeles protests.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2015
Unwieldy alliance The opposition in this election promises change.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2010
Unwieldy Suckling Fourteen times has the North Atlantic been spanned nonstop by airplanes; the Pacific not once.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Unwieldy size and staggering columns of type have driven hordes of people to the comforting refuge of the tabloids."
From Time Magazine Archive
Unwieldy and immense, who shall hold in behemoth? who bridle leviathan?
From Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy by Whitman, Walt
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.
